Pokemon: Merge
by Pokemon Ranger J
Summary: A new virus is discovered, and the Rangers and Mercs meet up with Darien. More good stuff, a random academy and new friends. Darkness.
1. Default Chapter

**Chapter 1**

Merge

I first need to express that this idea is not entirely mine.Megan and I have collaborated on this story.The story is named Pokemon: Merge.Thanx, Meg.Love ya!

It was almost a month after the Demonstone incident.Now I had fully modified the stone combination machine to handle the demonstone.Now we were gathered around it as I hit the button.There was whirring noise and the machine glowed.Then there was a ding, and we all watched the tray that would catch the combined stones.Weird goo poured into it.

"What the?" 

"Isn't there supposed to be a stone there?"

"Yeah, but, it's, um, goo."

"Megan, take this to the lab for analysis, will you."

"Sure, hon, gimme a second to get it in a vial."

"Yeah," I said, "David, can you relay a message to Ash.Tell him about this shit.And somebody clean the floor."In shook my head.What the hell was this stuff?Megan headed off to the Lab with a vial of the stuff.The rest of us went about our chores around the Ranch.

"Well, James, it appears to be a type of DNA-modifying Virus.What I'm going to do is inject it into a lab rattata.It won't harm it, but will alter its DNA.I'd like to find out what it does."Megan held up an injection gun.She headed back towards the lab.

"C'mon, you too, Sabrina, let's see what it does."Then Megan tripped.I caught her with my psychic power, but the gun flew into the air.I tried to grab it in time, but it landed, on Megan's arm, unloading its cargo of Virus into her bloodstream.

"Yeeow, that hur..." she trailed off, her eyes suddenly closed.I ran up to her.She was still breathing.She was alive, at least.What had my goo done?I keyed the intercom.

"Brian, get up here, we got a problem."

"I'm on it!"Brian was the certified doctor of the team.Russel, a munitions specialist, Kim, a the computer expert, and Snowflake the organizer. David, Sabrina and I provided heavy firepower, making the team almost invincible.Brian ran up.He scanned her body quickly with his electronic diagnostic checker.

"We need her in a stasis tube quickly.C'mon.I teleported all four of us to the sickbay.Sabrina raisedMegan into the stasis tube.Megan looked so peaceful asleep like that.This was my fault.I teleported myself to my room. I gathered a few things and then walked out of the main building and out into the semi-landscaped wilderness that was then Ranch.The Ranch, built in 1986, was a special island south of Cinnabar Island.It had been terraformed to fit its job, which was to be a safe haven for rare and illegal pokemon.They were allowed to roam free, and it was a great place to sit and meditate.I could have teleported, but that would be wrong, using my power when I didn't need it.My legs were fine for getting around. I walked up a slope to the perfect Japanese style mountains that were in the center of the island.I knew there was a koi pong up here somewhere.'Koi Pond Left' said a sign.I followed it up the narrow path.The air was cool, and the sun was setting.When I reached the pond I tossed my bags on the ground between two trees.I suspended my hammock between the trees and dug a fire pit.I put some wood in it and psyburned it.It was blazing in no time.I needed time to think.I pulled my food out of my pack.I made my self dinner: Miso soup, teriyaki, and sushi.It was quiet and serene as I munched on what had once been tuna, but now, artfully wrapped in seaweed, was tuna wrapped artfully in seaweed.I drank some of the soup.Goddish, I was depressed.I couldn't face my problems running away like this.They were responsible enough, and if they needed me I'd be there.Then I cleaned up the meal and climbed into my hammock.I pulled out my copy of Shogun, and read.

Blackthorne something, something, Toranaga.

Ok, that was getting boring.I pulled out my collection of pokemon cards, which had taken up the entire second bag, and counted them.133,284.Then I sorted them out into numerical order by type, and then put the types in alphabetical order.That was boring but necessary.It still didn't distract me from my mistake at pursuing that stupid thing with the evolution stones.Now my Megan would probably die, or worse.I had been in enough trouble in my life to know that there were things worse than death.I decided to swim in the Koi pond.Filled with weak little Magikarp, I wouldn't get hurt, and neither would the Karp.I sat down in the unusually deep pool, letting the cool water relieve me of my worries.I floated on the surface, humming.I heard a crack, a stick snapping.My hand strayed to the shuriken, a ninja throwing star in my pocket.I opened my eyes, and looked up to see my wife, Sabrina.She was wearing her old gym uniform.I smiled.I levitated out of the pool and dried off psychically.She walked over to me.

"You know there was nothing you could have done, James.It happened, and we have to live with that."

"I'll use Mew to go back and fix it."

"You can't.Time travel is illegal now, even for the league, after what happened last time."I hung my head.I felt her hand on my chin.Megan had helped me when Sabrina had gone evil.Now Sabrina was there for me, when Megan was gone, not evil, granted, but gone.She raised my head, I looked her in the eyes.

"It's my fault."

"No, it's not.It'll be alright, it always is in the end."

"Now this is starting to sound like fanfiction!"

"C'mon, what's there to be a fan of, James, this is real life."

"Just a crazy thing that popped into my head!"

"Yeah."

"Let's get some sleep," She said, "We have to get back tomorrow morning.Then maybe we can help Megan."

"Yeah," I said.I kissed Sabrina.We lay down in the hammock.I fell asleep, my arms around my wife.I wondered what tomorrow would bring.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Revelation

Sabrina and I walked back to the main building at dawn.We arrived at 6:30.No one was awake, it appeared.We walked in.

"No one home."

"Yeah."

"Looks like we have time to kill," she said, with an evil grin.

"Hmmm."

We collapsed on the bed.I kissed Sabrina.Then I sensed something amiss.I looked up from Sabrina's face.

"Don't stop, this is much better that those soaps on TV."

"Huh?" we said, sitting up.A Rattata sat in the doorway.Then it glowed, changing shape. I thought it was evolving, but it wasn't, unless Rattatas evolve into Megan.She smiled.She was awake?What happened to her?

"Huh?Gah?Wha?"

"No, I don't speak whatever that is." She smiled.

"What happened to you?"

"Well, the goo, it turns out, affected the chromosomes in my cells, and now it allows me to change into any pokemon, at whim.Also I change with my feelings."

"Well, we aren't telling league about this, no way.It's too dangerous, and it'd been public in thirty seconds," my wife said, sitting up, straightening her jacket.

"I agree," I said.Sabrina stood, putting her hand to Megan's forehead.

"Hmm, yes, it's all true, no speculation.She is a pokemon and human hybrid, almost."

"What do we do with her?"

"I have no idea.Just, let's keep this quiet, okay?"

"Yeah," the two girls agreed.This wasn't getting out public, the Rockets and Biogen would know immediately.Goddish knows how many Giovanni clones were left after Demonstone, and Giovanni was a great strategist, although he sometimes made mistakes.That's when the chopper landed.Ash stepped out, Raichu following.I walked out, flanked by Sabrina and Megan.I walked to Ash, and all three of us noticed what was wrong.I slipped a foot behind him, and brought it towards me, tripping him.I kicked him in the side.Then Sabrina and I brought pistols to bear on him.Megan changed into a Charizard. 

"Who are you?"

"I'm Ash Ketchum, and if I'm not mistaken you're fired."

"Who are you and how did you find us here?"

"I'm Ash..." he stopped as Megizard breathed a short flame that singed the gray hair on his head, "I'm Ditto Alias.I was hired by Team Rocket to be Ash.How did you know I wasn't him."

"Well, slimeball, Ash would never evolve Pikachu.How did you find us?"

"Well, Kojiro, we have the world's most powerful psychic at our disposal."

"Who is this, err, super-psychic?"

"Well, it's easy, my boss is..." He disappeared in a teleportation blast, as did the chopper.Megan was Megan again.

"Sorry, I'm not myself lately."

"Yeah, but it's you," Sabrina said, cracking up.Then Megan whispered something in her ear.All I caught was 'latex exam gloves' and 'aren't they powdery?'I didn't want to know.I'd never understand women.I hoped, at least not completely.No one totally understood me, except maybe Sabrina.We had been friends since we were young.We had grown up in the same town.I had arrived at the Gym there when I was 3, dropped off by my Alakazam foster parents.I had looked up to her when I was younger, and as I got older, had fallen in love with her.I remembered those days.Now we were married, and my work was demanding.I'm a Pokemon Ranger.I save the world, for cheap, and no breaks.That sucks, too.At least Sabrina had gone with me on most assignments.I remebered being young, living at the Gym. One memory, in particular, from when we'd been twelve and three quarters, eight months after the Muk incident, came back to me.

_"James, are you there?"Sabrina's mom asked._

_"Yeah, what do ya need?"_

_"Well, my husband and I are leaving for a week or so, to Mauve Town on the mainland.Will you keep an eye on my daughter?"_

_"Sure, you can count on me."_

_ _

_"Your parents are leaving for a week, or so, and you know what that means!"_

_"Yeah," she said, grinning evilly._

_"PARTY!!!" we yelled.We invited our collective friends, 50 or so, all of which were Sabrina's._

_"James, what about your friends?"_

_"My friends?You are 'my friends.'"_

_"What about your other..." she trailed off, realizing she was my one and only human friend._

_"I'm sorry, I didn't know."_

_"It's not painful, I'm a lucky person, to have you as a friend."_

_"Thanks, I think."_

_"Yeah.Now about that party."She laughed._

_"I love how you change subjects so easily, it sounds so, perfect," she said._

_"Yeah, what else do you love?"_

_"You."_

_"Huh?"_

_"I love you."_

_"And I you."I kissed her.It wasn't the first time we'd kissed, but it was still as meaningful to us, a pair of semi-outcast preteen psychics.I hadn't thought that we'd eventually marry, but I knew.We kissed again, and pulled back._

_"Did you know you talk about bacon bits in your sleep?"_

_"No, I do?How would you know."_

_"I've slept in your room for eight months, you think I don't notice these things.You also talk about me."_

_"Really, what do I say?"_

_"Well, you say I'm beautiful, and all that."_

_"Really, I was hoping to tell you that while I was awake."_

_"You do every day."_

_ _

_Guests arrived, and the party was great, but well, I didn't know anyone, and then that guy Darien came in, and, as I was offering Sabrina my hand for a dance, he shoved me over, making it look accidental.Then he offered her his hand.They danced.All night.I would have fried his rich little ass, but Sabrina seemed to like him.She wouldn't like me, if she ended dancing with a charred Darien.No, that would be bad for my image.They danced on forever, it seemed.I ended up dancing with Erika, from Celadon City.She was very nice, but she was wearing a little too much perfume and I got lightheaded.I had to sit down.She moved on to another guy, asking for a dance.I sat, my head aching from the Eau de Gloom.I looked for Sabrina and Darien, but didn't see them on the dance floor.Then I saw them, in a corner, still dancing, faces close together.I projected myself out to Sabrina, talking to her mentally._

_Gee, lay off him, you barely know the guy._

_It's all right, he's very, nice.You know, you could be like him if you tried._

_What's that supposed to mean?She had said she loved me earlier that same day, now she was over in a corner with what's his face.Somethin' wrong here.I watched them, dancing, closer, closer, until they kissed.I felt as if she had been invaded, my own Sabrina, no longer.They held the kiss longer than I thought even a psychic could without proper air supplies.I turned away, and went to my room, and plugged into a simulator that enabled me to physically fight any pokemon.I needed a challenge.Machamp.The sim didn't allow me my psychic powers, which was just as well, because building physical strength was important, too.I caught a left right double jab from the upper arms.The other two snaked under my block and caught me in the stomach.I flung myself at the creature, and heard a knocking at my door._

_"Knocking, knocking at my chamber door," I said, quoting Poe._

_"Quoth the Raven, nevermore."Darienstepped into my room._

_"Give up, James, she's mine."_

_"Not if I have anything to say about it, Darien."_

_"I can provide for her best, I'm rich, you're street-scum."_

_"I'd take that back if you value your ability to reproduce," I threatened.He smiled._

_"You see, James, you can't hurt me."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Because, I'm psychic, you're obviously not."_

_"Oh really?"_

_"Yeah, are you through arguing yet, Sabrina's waiting in her room."_

_"Arrgh."_

_"Hey, Kelley, if you're lucky, I'll let you clean up after our wedding, tomorrow."_

_"Huh?"_

_"She accepted my proposal."_

_"You son of a Slowbro!You're a Dark psychic, aren't you?You're controlling her!"_

_"Oh, hush, my excitable friend."_

_"Did you call me your friend?"_

_"Yeah, I'm a friendly guy."_

_"You get too much more friendly and I'll shove your head higher up your ass than it already is."_

_"Remember, I'm psychic, you're a weakling."_

_"Tell that to a Psyburn!"I said, forming a ball of burning energy on my fingertips, "suck this, rich-boy!" I said, releasing it.He disappeared.I didn't see him again, till the Rocket encounter, but Sabrina did, during her evil period.Yeah she saw him a lot.I shouldn't talk, I saw enough of a certain Celadon Gym Leader, myself._

_I opened the door to her room and sat down on the bed in the dark next to her._

_"Darien?"_

_"James."_

_"What happened?"_

_"I Psyburned his little rich heiney."_

_"How could you?" she said, standing up next to her bed._

_"Relax, he's a dark psychic, he was influencing you.It'll take a while for it to wear off, but it will.Trust me, love."_

_ _

_We walked back to the facility, and told Ash, over the comlink, what had transpired.Then the others awakened.Apparently it was public now.The Rockets had seen to that.Ash called later, asking that we bring Megan to him so the league could sample her DNA.We left at noon._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Double Trouble...

We were sitting in the Pokemon League Lab's commons area, waiting for Megan's tests to finish.I was watching talks shows on TV.The others, minus Megan of course, were playing cards.David was in a conference with Ash and Brock.I turned to the TV again.Oh, so that's what happened to Tracey Skechit!He has a talk show!

"I'm Tracey, and this is Talk Stew!Our guests today are various dirty looking fat people from southern towns with grammar as bad as their hygeine habits."Tracey had an interpreter next to him.Uh oh, this looked bad.Then, a motley group of large people paraded on, waving, one belched.Theytook seats.One pulled off his shoe and nibbled at his toenails, or tried to, he couldn't get his foot near his mouth because of the flab.This was getting scary.Tracey put on a gas mask.Tracey walked to the first pair, a man and a woman, he said.I couldn't tell, they looked like Snorlaxes to me, except fatter.I heard the legs on one armchair start to snap.

"So what's your problem sir, madam."The mumbled something.Tracey whispered something to his interpreter about subtitles, and the man hurried off.Minutes later, words appeared at the bottom of the screen. The people started to argue.The screen printed:

Woman:You know what, I been sleeping with your brother Jake!

Man: Which one of my brothers named Jake?I got four!

Woman: Allof 'em!

Man: Well, I been sleeping with your best friend Ellie May Sue Jane

Woman: Oh yeah?Me too!And I slept with your Dog, Gertie!

Man: And I slept with your sheep!

Woman:Wooly doesn't love you!

Man:Oh yeah, well it doesn't matter because I been sleeping with _your brother named Jake, and his dog, chickens, and his wife!_

At this point Tracey pulled out a tranquilizer gun.He shot the yelling people and moved on to the next group.I pulled out a book and decided to read until the part about gay men who believed they were lesbians who thought they were gay men who thought they were normal accountants.That took about ten minutes, and then he moved on to a necropedabestialist who was going to sing 'Necropedabestialist Rap.'z

"So, you're a necropedabestialist?In other words a person who has sex with dead baby animals?"

"Well, yes sir, in fact, I'm gonna sing a little song!"

"Really..." I turned to a channel with a soap opera on.It was called, 'Vermillion Nights,' but had nothing to do with Vermilion city.

"Marsha!"

"Yes Gerald!"

"I'm in love with your twin brother, Harold!"

"I am Harold!"

"Oh Harold!"I switched it off.Megan came in.I hated Daytime TV!

"Well, I'm officially a freak."

"Glad to hear it!"

"And I can't have kids or they'll get it too."She broke down, crying, mumbling something about chromosomes and 'shifting DNA.'Russell was at her side immediately.He held her.She sobbed, her face buried in his shoulder.

"Do you want a sticker?" asked an insanely happy looking man standing in the door.He fell as Snowflake's Haganeru filled the room.It looked the man in the eye, growling.

"You're going to find a cure for this girl, or Dimondust's going to bite off a certain part of your body I'm sure you'd rather keep."He really loved his crew.He may have been rough around the edges, but he was a great guy.Megan stood, dwarfed by the doctor.He smiled, laughed nervously.He suddenly stood tall, the smile gone. His foot smashed forcefully into Megan's stomach, and she flew back.She smashed into a chair.I jumped up.The 'doctor' pulled out an uzi, cleverly disguised as an uzi, and several syringes.Russel caught him in a flying tackle, and I dove forward.Sabrina lifted the man, psychically. I caught him in the back with a Psykick.His lab coat fell off, revealing a black shirt with an R on it.Rockets knew already.

"We should take him hostage..." I trailed off as Snowflake shot him in the stomach.Blood gushed onto the floor.Kim keyed the intercom, "Cleanup, CC commons."We exited, leaving the body on the floor.

Megan came to in the study of my mansion in Saffron.I had purchased it with just about everything I owned, and then won the money back in a pokemon card game against someone who didn't believe a psychic could beat him.Ha ha!It was a great house, and had its 'secrets:' things I'd had installed the would turn it into a veritable fortress, and it had huge jets under it that would allow it to fly and hover, their power cells charging on solar energy at this moment.Sabrina sat next to Megan, and handed her a cup of coffee as she sat up.

"Thanks, Sab,"

"S'alright.Just, take care of yourself."

"What happened, I remember Russell picking me up, and then, and then I passed out."

"Snowflake gave Rocket boy a second belly button," Russell said, entering.

"He was a Rocket, I thought maybe BioGen, but Rocket?"

"Yeah, it appears you're as good to them dead or alive."

"Well, we're going to give them a fight, aren't we?"

"I guess," I replied, "now, let's head down to the basement and take the transvator to my armory."

We entered a steel door, revealing a room full of racks filled with guns, brass knuckles, knives, and many other weapons.I walked over to a second door at the back of the room.I said my name, "James Kelley, Kojiro Kai Li."A keypad came out of the wall.I punched in the secret code only Sabrina and I knew.The door opened to reveal a small room with nothing in it.We all stepped in.The door closed.I repeated the procedure to the opposite wall, and a gush of cleansing mist hit the cramped group of people in the airlock, for that is what it is, a security measure to protect my special weapons division.The door opened and we exited.The room was full of body armor, special repeating hand guns, similar to mine, and other special weapons.We all spread out grabbing our signature weapons.A refitted Psyblade attached to my belt, clips of ammo for my pistols went into ammo belt around my waist, just underneath my pokeball belt.I pulled down a body armor shirt and took off my shirt and put it on.Sabrina walked up and zipped up the back of it.

"Thanks, Love."

"Anytime."

"You put one on too, I'm not letting you go out there without one of these on," I said, lifting a titanium alloy shirt.I unzipped the back of her jacket, revealing her under jacket, a bullet-proof shirt I had given her.I slipped the shirt on her and zipped it.

"Thanks, James, now, do you have a Psyblade for me?"

"Sure, take this," I said, handing her a specialty blade.She clipped it to her belt. 

"Anything else I need?"

"Pistols, ammo, utility belt."

"Got it!"she hurried off down the aisle, her long hair, swinging behind her.

"You got good taste in ladies, Kelley, first Erika and then her.How do you do it?"

"Huh?"I whirled around.Casey stood behind me.He had been a helpful friend in the Demonstone episode, and I had offered him a room or two at the mansion.Now he sort of watched over it, because I was at the Ranch a lot.

"Personally, I wouldn't mention the Erika thing, she gets pretty steamed up about it.I'm not mad, it's just that my wife'll make your head implode if you talk about Erika."

"Ahh, I'll make a point of it."

"Yeah, well, how did you get in here?"

"I've lived here for a month, think I haven't figured this place out yet?"

"Well, don't get used to it, we're going on assignment."

"For the League?"

"No, for us."

"I see... No I don't"

"Get your stuff, and let's go."

Later we stood in my foyer, waiting for the helicopter Ash has agreed to send us.

"Why all this stuff, for Rockets?"Asked Casey.

"They have powerful psychics this time.We have to be careful.My pokedex beeped.

"Kai Li here."

"Hello, Kojiro, you don't know me, but you will, and I am going to kill you," a voice said.

"Who are you, and how did you get my number?"

"You'll find out who I am soon enough, and then you'll die."

"Huh?"

"I am the world's most powerful psychic!"

"What?"

"Goodbye, we'll see each other soon."I was puzzled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

X

I don't own Master X.His stuff doesn't say I can't use his character, so he is in here, because I need a psychic master with an energy blade and an ability to fight well.I also don't own Team Revelation, and they make an appearance.And Goddish knows what type of scum creature owns UMJ, probably Muk, and I'm glad I don't own him.

"Who was that?"

"Let's just say the Rockets know we're coming."

"Not good."The chopper landed, and we boarded.

"How are we gonna find this place?"David asked.

"I'll know when we get there, and besides, if this guy wants a fight so bad, he'll make it obvious," I replied.As we flew off, I ordered the pilot to where I knew our battle had to begin. Shadow City.The Shadow Gym was a place darker than the psychic temple, and no plants grew near it.It was dismal.A black kid stood by the door, twirling a gun on his finger, a sniper rifle strapped to his back.People passed the gym on the street, but steered clear of him.He was a henchman of some sort, I could feel it.We approached him, and suddenly there was a gun in my face.

"Who you be?"he growled.

"Who asks."

"I be UMJ, da rapper man, so you can suck my fat..." I cut him off.

"That'll be enough Mr. IMGay, or whatever."He lapsed into a cheesy rap, 

"I be UMJ,

Dat be All I say,

I rap, rap, rap,

And you be thinking I'm crap!"

"That's cause you are," Snowflake said, under his breath.The kid couldn't even rap.He was really bad at being an evil rapper.

"What you call me, fuzzy head white-ass boy?"

"I called you crap."Now he had stopped sounding black altogether, and had just started being ridiculous.

"Ok, I be needing to kill you... Hello, ladies!" he started, noticing Sabrina, Kim, and Megan off to one side.His hand reached out towards the foremost, Kim's, midriff, but was stopped by a psychic grip I held him in.I flung him back, and crinkled the barrels on his guns, he pulled out the sniper rifle, fired, and caught a small explosion in his face.He fell over, and, stumbling, stood up and took a swing at no one in particular, I psyburned him lightly, not killing him, just hurting him a bit.

"Rockets!" Someone yelled, seeing the psychic fire.Four kids rushed up, wearing strange modified Rocket uniforms.

"You must be the infamous Team Revelation," I said.

"How do you know?"Asked the leader.

"Well, I'm psychic, and it says it on your shirt."

"James, meet Ryan, Daven, Garrett, and Jennifer," Sabrina said.

"Hold on a second, love.You know these people?"

"Sure we worked for a while when you were gone from the Gym on business."

"Why didn't you tell me when I got back."

"Well, I don't know."

"This is starting to sound like fanfiction again!" Russell yelled.

"Can we be sure you're not Rockets?"

"Yeah, they've pulled some tricks on us before, and it's not happening again.

"I wasn't expecting this from the good guys!"I yelled.Sabrina grabbed a pokeball.I did as well.

"Wait!" my pokedex beeped.I turned it on.Professor Oak, looking frantic, filled the screen.

"What, Oak?"

"It appears you have met Team Revelation, as your tracking systems are at the same location.They are my counter measure against Rocket threats, and have been wakened after 30 years of hypersleep, in order to defeat these Rockets.You will have to combine forces, if you wish to win.

"You're here to fight the Rockets?," I asked Ryan.He nodded.

"Coincidence, us too."

"Ry-chan, we would be stronger, with them to help us.It'd help, Do you think we should work in teams?" asked Jennifer.He thought for a moment, "yeah, sure."

"Thanks," I said, shaking his hand, "I'm Pokemon Ranger J, this is Ranger D, Megan, Snowflake, Russell, Brian and Kim.And you've already met my wife, Sabrina."

"So you got hitched?"Daven asked.

"Yeah, about a month ago."I thought of something.

"Hey, Ryan, did you guys get contacted by this guy?" I asked, showing a screen capture of the mysterious psychic.

"Hey, that's the guy that said he'd kill me for meddling with the Rockets!"Ryan replied.Team Revelation went for the door of the Gym, stepping on the recovering UMJ.He passed out again.I teleported us to the roof.

"Where did you meet these guys?" asked Kim.

"At my Gym, they came to see me," Sabrina replied.

"Well, these guys better be good, we're going to need the help," I said.

"I heard that!And we are good!" yelled Garrett, from the door below us.I cut a hole in the roof with my Psyblade, and we dropped into darkness.

We made out way along the dark corridor until we reached a throne room.There was a shaft leading down into the ground in the middle of the room.Team Revelation was entering as we walked towards it.

"To protect the world from Demonic Power!"

"To rescue people in their darkest hour!"

"To pronounce the power of our Creator's love!"

"This is sounding like a TV evangelist convention!" Snowflake whispered.

"Like I said, could we be a little quieter Reverend Ryan?"

"Huh?Oh, yeah, sorry."

"We're supposed to be stealthy with these guys following us?" Kim asked.

"Don't give 'em a hard time, they helped Sabrina, and we can trust them," I told her.

"Hey, Revs, um, aren't there supposed to be more of you?I mean, I've heard stories..."

"Yeah, but when we were frozen, they elected to remain behind and keep the world safe until they needed us in full force.They're almost fifty now, and with us back, they can retire."With this the four dropped down the hole, rappelling on ropes that had appeared, like this was a fanfic.We followed, hovering down, using Sabrina and my psychic power.Kim, Brian, Snowflake, and David stayed up top as backup and lookout, and they scouted out the Shadow Gym.We hovered down, past the Revs.They rappelled down quickly, but not as quickly as two psychics at full speed.I was free to use my psychic power here, because, if psychic dampeners were used, they would dampen 'the greatest psychic's' power, too.I wished I knew who he was.I'd find out soon enough.Then I sensed another presence, one I hated, Darien.Damn, that kid got around.Maybe I'd kill him, and he wouldn't become a recurring character.Wait, this was starting to sound really like fanfiction!I was getting suspicious.Well, I guess I'd have to live with it.Darien was close.We reached bottom, I raised my hands, and we landed.Russell pulled out a repeating pistol.Casey dropped down behind, he looked queasy.Megan pulled out her secret weapon, wait, no, that was lipstick.Casey recovered, and stood, shakily, he pulled out his favorite weapon, a special computer.It was three inches wide, and keyed to brain waves, so he could work at the speed of thought.He hooked into the mainframe, and downloaded a virtual map, which he loaded into my wrist mounted 3-D mapper.The entire process took about thirteen point eight seconds.He was too fast to notice or trace.I turned it on, and viewed the floor we were on.It was huge, maybe four miles wide, and ten long.It would be a tough battle, there were many mechanical defenses, and forty more levels, each increasingly larger. This would take time, which we didn't have enough of.The Revs landed.They ran off in one direction.

"Heading straight for a machine gun barrier.Bad career decision," I said, looking at the map.Ryan raised a hand, and the group stopped.

"What?"

"You'll be blown to pieces, we just saved you, be thankful."

"Well, uh, thanks."

"Follow us, this way."We headed down a smaller corridor, which the map said lead to a storage room, which had a utility access elevator in it,which went down to any floor.We came to the door of the room.Casey hooked in and keyed it open.It was pitch black inside.

"Casey, we need light."

"I'm on it."The lights flashed on.

"And God said, 'let there be light,'" Garrett said, smiling approvingly.We entered.I heard footsteps in the hall.

"Casey, lights out time, everybody, night vision goggles," I ordered.The lights went off, and my team slipped on their goggles.I locked into the Revs brains, letting them see in the dark.

"Huh?" Asked Jennifer at the sudden change.

"Night vision, courtesy of me," I said.We ducked behind some crates.Two Rockets walked in.

"Good, only two," Megan said.Then a squad of Rockets followed.The door closed and locked.They spread out.

"Master X said he felt their presence here," the Rocket leader said.One came up behind us, but I sensed him too late.

"Got 'em!"They all pulled guns.The Revs were already gone.I pulled out my pistols and let the Rockets eat some hyper speed bullets.The Revs appeared atop a high crate, and some mysterious music started.They started the motto.We kept firing.

"To Protect the world from Demonic Power!"We shot some more Rockets.

"To Rescue people in their darkest hour!"I double rolled on the ground, coming up next to Russell.

"Isn't it amazing how they aren't getting hit?"I said, pointing toward the Revs.

"Yeah, this is like, fanfiction or something!"

"To pronounce the power of our Creators Love!"I shot a few more Rockets.

"To extend that truth to the stars above!"I Psybladed several Rockets

"Ryan!"  
"Devan!"

"Garrett!"

"The Toilet of Sadness!"yelled Casey.

"Casey!"I growled, "at least let them finish their motto!"I said harshly.Jennifer grimaced.

"And don't forget Jennifer!"

"Who can, she talks too much," Sabrina muttered.

"We are Team Revelation, sworn defenders of the gospel of Jesus Christ!"I flying-backwards-roundhoused another Rocket into oblivion.

"Give up! God has already won this figh..."They trailed off, realizing all the Rockets were in several pieces on the floor.

"We could have used the help," I said.They jumped down, surveying the damage.

"Ever heard of 'Thou Shalt Not Kill?'" asked Devan.

"What, let 'em live, then they'll alert the leader."

"He won't notice when thirty of his men go missing?"

"He'll know, but he won't know how many of us there are.He'll think there are more than what we have.He'll be scared."

"He'll raise security."Garrett said.

"We can handle more Rockets."

"Let's get ready.

We welded the door shut and opened the door of the elevator.I opened my mind to my power.I searched the place for the leader, 'X.'

"He's doing it again, that psychic stuff."

"Well, it's either God's power inside that he's discovered, or Satan's."

"Actually, I'm as non-psychic as you are, Ryan.My power was imparted to me."

"Huh?"he was caught off guard, not expecting me to talk.

"I was given it.I was a perfectly normal person, than I was given my power, by an Alakazam Tribe, in the jungle.I moved in with Sabrina's family when I was three.I adopted the Psychic culture.It's pretty weird, but it's the way I live now."

"That's interesting.You mean, that we too, could be given psychic power?"  
­­"Yes, actually, quiet meditation will bring out your inner psychic power, a power that everyone has.If you work with it well, you can become as powerful as Sabrina, or me, or whoever is running this Rocket station."

"Wouldn't that be against God though?"

"Not if you used it for His work."

"God works in mysterious ways."

"Don't I know it.There have been times, times I needed help, when I prayed to every God I'd ever heard of to help me.And then, then I believed.The Psychic religion is based around Pokemon.We not really worship them, but respect them fro their powers.Level 32, room 1278."

"Huh?" asked Ryan.

"That's where their boss is, the Dark Man."

"James, we're ready," my wife said.We jumped down the shaft, again hovering, followed by our non-psychic friends.

28, 29, 30, 31, 32, this was it. I kicked the door open.We floated into a room, similar to the one we had just left.I landed, as did Sabrina and the others.Casey knelt and threw up.

"I hate that floating!"

"As I see."The Revs came in too.They pulled out pokeballs.I pulled out my Psyblade.

"Pokemon won't help in this battle.They'd get slaughtered. They can take a few Rockets, but to many will overwhelm them.I'm warning you now," I tossed Ryan a handgun, "I hope you know how to use this."The others in my group surrendered a handgun, until each Rev had one. 

"I know how to use it, but the Pokemon'll do, we have the Genesis stone, and it powers pokemon up very well."

"Ok, but be careful, with yourselves, and your little friends.Then I sliced through the door and we headed out into a throne room, similar to the one in the Gym.

"Welcome, Kojiro, to your doom."A young man, my age, sat on the throne, his face barely visible. He had an energy blade in his hand.It ignited, and it shone black.It was a rod of nothingness.I ignited my purple blade.Why purple?It's the color of the Psychic Energy in Pokemon Cards.We squared off.The Revs backed out, and went down the halls, looking for Rockets to defeat, buying us time with a risky distraction.Sabrina ignited her blade, a crimson one, ready to help if I needed it.Casey logged into a computer terminal and contacted Ash and the league, who didn't know we were here.

"Who are you?" I asked, tightening my grip on the blade's handle.

"I am Master X, the last thing you'll ever see."He shifted stances, and his black leather jacket changed positions, revealing several handguns.He swung at me, and I parried.I jumped, psychically fueled, up, twelve feet.I spun in the air, and brought my blade down at him.He blocked it easily.This guy was good.I spun again, and he sliced the air where I had stood, milliseconds before.I gave a combination swinging attack.He ran toward me, and jumped.He flew over me, and at Sabrina.She blocked his attacks easily.

"How about, if you join me, I won't kill him, baby?"

"Who are you calling 'baby?'"She pulled a complicated attack, and knicked his right arm.He grimaced, but was otherwise unfazed.

"I'll let you live, and, hey, if I liked you enough, you could join my other concubines."

"She's married, asshole."I swung in at him, and he turned his attention from her, and back to me.He flung a dark psychic fireball at her, and she tried to block with the blade, but, because of its dark composition, couldn't.I psyburned him, but he reflected it, I ducked, and it hit the wall above Casey.

"Watch it, evil dude!"I took the distraction's advantage, and attacked fiercely.He parried.

"I know something you don't know," I said.

"What?"

"I'm immortal, to sum it up. Because I came through a temporal variance, I have been broken from my place in the web of life.Sabrina too, we'll live forever.

"I know something you don't know," He said, smirking.

"What?"

"Me too."

"Well, don't that just take the cake," I said, changing tactics, and teleporting the blade from my hand and into his chest.He fell.

"It's not over yet...." he choked, going into a healing trance.I withdrew my blade and hurried over to Sabrina and Casey.We were about to start a self-destruct sequence when I heard the voice.

"James, my worst enemy, Sabrina, my dearest love. I'm back!"Darien strode into the arena, the pheromones just running off him.He was clad in black only.And he was carrying a psyblade, the one that had killed Dave, the Pikachu thief.He ignited it.

"Hey Sabrina, after I kill him, then, if you're lucky, I'll make you into my consort.My, won't that be fun?I can see it now, I'd just snap my fingers and you'd come in and..."

"That's quite enough, Darien.What makes you think you can kill me?I won last time, and all the times before that."

"Well, actually there was this time while Sabrina was evil, actually, quite a few times, where we got to know each other quite well.Looks like you didn't win that one, did you, James? Isn't that right, my dear?"

"You can kiss my Psyblade, Darien!" Sabrina yelled.

"Darien, she's married now."

"Soon she'll be a widow."

"That's what your friend said," I said, pointing towards X.

"What friend?"I looked, X was gone.Darien ignited his weapon.I ignited mine.We clashed.

"You know, James, I'm going to win this time."

"Why?" I asked, blocking a low shot.

"I've been training against simulations of you, and all the other great psyblade masters.I'm so good now, I always win."

"Simulations mean nothing."The battle joined, and we caught each other with vicious psyblade swipes.Master X's personal attendants, flocked by guards, entered the throne room.Sabrina ignited her blade and went after them.Megan changed into an Alakazam, and flung Rockets around the room.Then she changed again, into Mewtwo, and let them have a psyburning.Darien and I parried and struck, neither winning, both knowing that one mistake would decide the match.Casey pulled out an automatic pistol and fired.Darien and I fought.Slash for slash, cut for cut.My both of my arms, and left leg were slightly grazed by his blade.He was cut on his right side, and his left cheek.He slashed, I parried.He came at me, swinging frantically, bluffing, I knew, and switched into a direct attack.We clashed again.The Rockets were winning the other fight by pure numbers when the Revs showed up.Pokemon came out, as did Rocket pokemon.Battles, not following any direct rules, followed.Darien and I fought.He pulled a terribly clever move, swinging, changing direction, and teleporting his blade, throwing my blade out of my hands.He stuck his blade into my face.I could feel the warmth of it, burning my hair.He decided to make that last little speech that the bad guys always make.

"You see, James, I win.I always knew I would.I get everything I've ever wanted, you dead, instant access to all the Pokemon data files," he motioned to my masterdex, "the death of those pesky Mercs, and your wife, Sabrina.Oh, sweet Sabrina, I've waited for this day for so long.You stole her from my bed, and now I get her back."

"She'd die before sleeping with you again, Darien."

"She had no argument last time, actually, she seemed to like it."

"Darien, you're starting to get me mad.You know it gets bad when I get pissed."

"Good, that'll start you down the road to being a dark psychic.It'll be great, we can fight side by side, maybe we can share your wife."

"Over my dead body."

"I was thinking that, too."

"One thing, Darien."

"Huh?"

"Make your claims..."

"What?"

"...After I'm dead!"I called the Psyblade to me.I slashed, catching him in the neck.His head rolled off, landing at Sabrina's feet.

"Well, you got rid of him, good work."

"I'm not gone yet," Darien's head spoke.Sabrina jumped higher than I thought possible, and teleported into my arms.I walked up to the head, and kicked it.

"Oww, stop."

"Why aren't you dead?" 

"Well, you see, X and I followed Sabrina through the time-portal."

"So you're invincible too?"

"You bet, you'll never get rid of me."

"Riiiight..."

"I'll get Sabrina back, and then, like the good old days, I can..."Sabrina cut the Darien-head in two.

"Thanks, I'm sick of him talking like that."

"Anytime, my love, anytime."

"Really?I don't have a real need of beheadings often, but, it's nice to know you'll be there."

We walked back towards the shaft, ready to leave.I knew X wasn't dead, and neither was Darien, but I couldn't kill them without help.We floated out of the shaft.Emerging in the first storage area, we were greeted by guards.Megan handled them, easily, with the power of Charizard.The door opened, revealing X, and special guards.He and I joined in an energy blade clash.Darien, putting his head back on, followed.

"Man, that's gonna leave a mark!" he said, heatedly.The Revs called out Pokemon.

"Charizard!"

"Alakazam!"

"Gengar!"

"Dragonite!"And their pokemon, super powered, were more than a match for any one Rocket pokemon.Then the Rockets teamed up, ten to one, and it was almost fair.Sabrina and Darien fought, psyblades clashing.X and I fought.

"Well, James, can you guess what I have in store for you now?"

"No, why don't you tell me?"

"Well, it's my invention, and it dampens all non-dark psychic power.It's an evil Generator.Diego, hit it!"I felt my power drained, and Sabrina was visibly weakened.I fought harder, but couldn't be as precise as he was, and he could read my mind, making me vulnerable.I fell back, under an extremely hard blow, m psyblade flew up, and he sliced the handle in the air, destroying it.I scrambled backwards, defenseless.I would never subject my pokemon to his Dark Abilities.Even Lugia couldn't beat him.Sabrina was in a similar situation, half of her psyblade on the floor, smoking.The Rev's pokemon were disturbed by the Evil, and weakened.This invention could not get into the Rocket Leader, Giovanni's, hands.I was not the one to stop X, though.My time had come.I sat in my meditative posture.I watched Ryan's Charizard take a terrible hit, and it fell.I felt a tear in my eye.I didn't want to leave this all behind.I was defenseless, and outnumbered.I at least wanted to go down fighting.I closed my eyes, and thought 'maybe Ryan's right.'I prayed.To his God, to mine.I knew help had come.First there was a thunder-like noise, and a screaming, like rending metal.I opened my eyes to see my Lugia, the Great Guardian, fly from its pokeball.It flew high, light gathering around it.Bullets ricocheted off it, and it came on undaunted, hyper beaming the Rockets.I smiled.And then something, like I'd never seen, appeared near the Rockets.It was barely visible.Rockets saw it, and fired.The bullets, stopped in front of it, their shapes visible, perfectly shaped, as if they had never been fired.Had I summoned this, too? No, I saw Ryan, eyes closed, concentrating.It must have been one of his God's warriors, or maybe The Warrior, an Arc-Angel, Michael.I had read of him, and had always wished it was true, my skepticism clouding my mind, that there was something to stop the evil that the Dark Psychic sects and Rockets had done.I was wrong to wish, all I needed was to believe.Michael cut through the Rockets easily, cornering Darien and X.They were lifted from the ground, and Michael's voice rang out, like the toll of a huge bell, booming.

"Do not believe, because your Dark books have guaranteed you invulnerability, that you cannot die.Your evil is overwritten by Good.I am a servant of the light, and you have violated the laws of the light, and have studied the Dark arts.If you ever harm another soul, _you will be dealt with!"He dropped them.They didn't move, and just cowered on the ground.He turned to face us._

"Thank you.Thank you," was all I could mutter.I was stunned.I had always disbelieved, but, somehow, had always known, that the book had told the truth.

"Thank you, Michael," Ryan said, reverently.

"Remember my words, Ryan.'Twas not only you who called me here."

"Who else, my siblings?"Michael shook his head.

"Yes, and no.Their prayers were with yours, but there was another."He pointed to me.

"A boy who never believed, found it in himself to trust in the Lord, and asked for help."Our savior turned to leave, but I found strength, and called out.

"Michael?"

"What, friend?"

"What about my religion?I mean, Lugia came as well.It was given power I'd never seen."

"James, Ryan, all of you, all pokemon are God's creatures, and your religion, James, is an offshoot, which does them an honor, which is repaid, through God's grace when you need it the most."

"So, our religions are the same thing, viewed in different ways?"Michael nodded.

"Each to his own, but one and the same."He faded from view, and Lugia landed, power gone, tired from battling.I pet its head.

"Thanks, Lugia."

"I had help James," It replied.

"You can talk?"

"I have the skill to communicate, yes."

"Well, that's a new one!"

We left the smoking Rocket base.Darien and X had gone, but I didn't think they would be bothering us.I had learned something today, and it would stay with me always.Ryan and the Revs had agreed to come to the Ranch so we could study the Genesis stone.Evan, days later, Michael's word rang in my head, "Each to his own, but one and the same."I would never forget what I had learned.

"Well, we have a while 'til we have to go off to the meeting, and the Mercs are at lunch, David's with Jennifer, the Revs are shopping for Pokemon Items, and Casey's surfing in the main computer lab," I said, putting my arms around Sabrina's waist.We were in the bedroom at our Mansion.She pulled back.

"What?"

"I just remembered how to keep David out."

"What's this devious plan of yours?"

"Ever heard of a lock?"

"D'oh."I lay back on the bed.She locked the door, and then came and next to me.My hands traced up her back, and then up the front of her jacket.

"Sabrina?"

"What?"

"Sorry, where're the buttons on _this one?" I asked, jokingly, recalling a few past experiences._

"No buttons, you just pull it off."

"Oh, well, maybe you should take me shopping with you.I wouldn't get so confused, like this."She giggled.

"Well, maybe, but you know you hate all those designer clothes people." 

"Hey, I'm your husband, I'm supposed to, but come anyway."

"Well, we have better things to do than talk about shopping, as interesting as it is."

"You're right."I kissed her.Snowflake attempted to open the door, and smacked into it.

"Not now Snowflake, I'm busy!"


	5. Chapter 4.5, a little deviation...

**Pokemon: Real Time**

**Chapter 1**

Vortex to Oblivion

**This is based on my stay at TIP, and all of this really happened, except what's in the story.Most of the scenery and rooms and buildings, students, and counselors, etc exist.Their names have been changed, so I can avoid a big-ass lawsuit.People who were with me at TIP, you know who you are, love ya, thanx for being there.Also,I have changed TIP to TFP, for Talent Finding Program, for complex legal reasons.i.e. Big-ass lawsuits.**

"Well, we've got a vacation, finally.Let's make the most of it, Sabrina," I said.Just after the Master X incident we had come back to the mansion.For now, we had time off, and the Mercs were visiting.David and the Robots were managing the Ranch, and we were given a vacation from League work.

I kissed her.And then Snowflake walked into our room.Shit, this always happened.I stood up, straightening my jacket, an action I was all to familiar with.Sabrina fell back onto the bed, letting out a sigh, and the word shit, under her breath.How did he get past the lock?Snowflake held up the MasterDex I had left outside the room, in an effort to lower disturbances.Ash's picture was on the screen, and he looked nervous.

"Hi, Ash."

"Hello, J."

"Yeah, this is kind of, um, my vacation."

"I know, but you need to be at the Indigo HQ in three hours.There has been a problem, and we need you."

"Yeah, I'll be there.Three hours, bye."

"And..." I shut the MasterDex off.Snowflake looked at me with a strange look on his face.

"Oh, yeah, out, and take that thing with you, we'll see you guys on the patio in two hours."He closed the door, carrying the MasterDex. 

"Well, looks like I've you all to myself for two hours, Kojiro," Sabrina said, pulling me down to her by my collar.

"Well, you'll actually have to leave some of me for me, or my brain functions'll stop, and I'll be clinically dead," I said, jokingly.To think I'd almost lost her to Darien.Man, I was lucky.

"We wouldn't want that, now would we."She kissed me.

"No, we wouldn't, unless we are a Rocket Strike Team.Then we'd really want that.But why are we referring to ourselves in the plural?"

"I don't know."I kissed my wife. 

"I love you, Sabrina."

"And I, you, James."We kissed again and I unbuttoned the back of her jacket.

We met the others on the patio, and I teleported us to the Pokemon League HQ office.Casey threw up.

"You've got to get used to this, C," I told him.Ash met us, a worried look on his face.

"James, you're going to have towithout D on this mission," he told us, "he has work at the Ranch."

"Yeah, what do you need?"

"Well," he brought up a holographic display of the island, "vortexes, dimensional rips, that is, have been opening in a field outside of Celadon City, and if you can't stop them, and the public gets wind of it, we could have a lot of trouble.They have been opening every day at 10:00 AM, and last for an hour.We need you to shut it down, or get inside it and find out what's causing it.Good luck, Kojiro, Sabrina, Snowflake, Russell, Megan, Kim, Brian, and puking person I can't identify."

"That's C, sir."

"Oh, of course, C.Who is he again?"

"Um, Casey Adkisson."

"Oh, yeah, Casey, good luck."

"Thank you siiiihoogh."Casey threw up again.He'd have a bad day when we got to the vortex.

After following Ash's map, and getting lost a bit, we arrived at the field.I checked my watch, 9:55.We had five minutes.We'd have to get ready.We lay out the equipment.Then I noticed the grass, iw was all bent towards the center of the field.Everyone else noted it too.

"Guys, this means the vortex's suction is going to me incredibly strong," I warned.At that second it opened, and we were all sucked in.We landed in a grassy area surronded by brick buildings.

"Where are we?"

"TFP," I said.

"What?How do you know that?"

"Wild guess, I'm psychic, and it say 'welcome TFP students' on that sign."

"Ah.What's TFP."

"You know what, I have no idea."

"Yo, kids, get to your check ins!" an adult called.

"Where?" Megan asked.

"Over there," the adult, whose name tag said 'Ric,' said, pointing.

"Thanks, Ric!"We walked to the line.I waited my turn and went to see the people in white t-shirts waiting there.

"Hi, what's your name."

"Ko... James, James Kelley."

"Ok, you've already checked in, do you need something?"

"Yeah, sorry, what's my room again?"

"J 206."

"Thanks."The others grouped around me, and we discussed what had happened.

"What was that?"

"Well, we're in an alternate universe, kind of.I read the minds of the people, and all of us, except Sabrina have checked in here.It seems, Sabrina doesn't exist here, nor Ash, Brock, Misty, or any of the people we know.It seems that no one knows about them in any way."

"That is scary.I say we get our pokemon and get as far away as possible," Snowflake said, reaching for a pokeball.

"No, this is where the distrubance is coming from.We need to stay here and find out what's causing it.We still have a mission." 

"You've got a point.We are here, in this world, but so is another copy of us.Maybe we should talk to them."

"Good idea, let's go to my dorm room."

"That didn't sound right," Sabrina said.

It was supposed to sound right?I thought to her.

Hehe, funny boy, Kojiro.

Geez, quiet lovebirds, I can't think. Megan thought.

"Megan?How, Psychic, what?"

"Sorry, just kind of, did that," she said.I hugged her.

"That's great, you're getting to use the psychic power given to you by the stone goo."

"Hehe, goo.Yeah, but we have a mission, let's go to," she read my note on my hand I had made, "J 206, to see you."

"Yes, let's."

"We caught the door behind some other kids, noticing it had a card key lock we couldn't open without a card.And teleporting would be noticed.We entered the first hall.

"There's one-oh-six, it must be upstairs."We climbed the stairs, found the room, and knocked.I answered the door.Me, but two years younger.

"Hello, what?"

"Hello, I'm you."I tried the direct approach.

"That can't be right, but it is," Me said, "come in."Thank Goddish the me in this world had moderate psychic prediction power.Casey lay on a cot in the opposite end of the room.Casey also stood behind me, looking green, from travelling.So Casey and I were 'roomies.'It wasn't as bad as being 'commies.'We all came in, and James's eyes widened as he saw what must have been an idle daydream unfold in front of him.

"You're Kojiro Kai Li?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"I write fan fiction about you."

"Huh?"

"Stories, based on a TV show, about you."

"What TV show?"

"Pokemon, it on Kids WB at 2:30."

"Woah, what's it about?"

"Pokemon trainers.Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu."

"Weird, this is weird," Megan said.Casey looked at Casey, and they exchanged highfives.Talk about bonding.James looked at Megan.

"You, you're that nice girl that lives in CC, you showed us in this morning, when my mom and I were lost."

"You have parents?" I asked him.

"Yeah, don't you?Oh, wait, I wrote you in without them." 

"Where are you in the stories, how far have you written?"

"Um, during the Demonstone incident."

"Oh, yeah, did you get past the thing with Keith and then Lily dies?"

"She dies?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"What else happens?"

"I'll tell you later, we're staying here tonight."

"How, this room's tiny.Wait, there are Commons rooms downstairs, you could live down there.It's only three weeks, and if you can go invisible, then you're fine."

"Sabrina and I can manage it."

"Sabrina's here?"

"Yeah, I am," She stepped out from behind the others, where she had remained unseen.

"Cool!"

"Do I exist here?"

"You, no, only on the TV show, when your Kadabra beat Pikachu, and then Ash won the badge by making you and Kadabra laugh."

"I'm only a fictional character?"

"That about sums it up."

"Sucks to be me."

"Don't think like that," I told her, putting my arm around her, "you're very real to me."James showed us the way to the commons room, and unlocked them with the key hanging around his neck on what appeared to be a shoelace.We went in, and found several couches that resembled water buffalo that had been dead for some time.Except, they (the couches) smelled worse.I was going to sleep on the rug, but realized it was beer stained and smelled like a frat carpet, which it was.Anyone who knows what a frat carpet looks and smells like, well, you know why I didn't sleep down there.Then Casey whistled from the hallway, pointing to another door across from ours, and he unlocked it with his key.The room was beautiful, compared to the other, but only had one couch, which was clean, a table, chairs, a clean carpet, a fridge, and a stove.We drew lots for the couch, between the three couples, and Sabrina and I ended up on the floor.As did Megan and Russel.James and Casey brought down their extra pillows, which were Duke University property, and were covered in plastic, and gave them to us and the Mercs.This ammounted to two pillows.James brought the sheets that were on his bed, because he'd brought his own, and gave them to me.

"Thanks, I think," I said.

"Welcome, I think," he replied.At that second Robert and Sugar walked into the room.

"Hey Megan!"Robert exclaimed, "I've been looking for you."

"You look older!" Sugar said.Sugar was not in a dress.I scanned his mind.He was this dimension's Sugar, and I liked him more.He, unlike my dimension's Sugar, was not wearing a dress.Robert, also was different.He wasn't his nastyish old self, but rather, a nice, younger him.And then Megan walked in.

"Guys, I was... OhmiGod!"

"Hello, self!" My Megan said perkily to her younger form.Megan 2 just kind of stared.

"Two of 'em?" asked Robert.

"Uhhhh?" Asked Sugar.

"Hi, Megan 2!" James and I echoed.

"Holy Shit, this is freaky!" Robert said.Sugar's eyes were wide.

"I trust you guys'll keep things quiet.We don't need any leaks.If anyone finds out, there's gonna be a big mess up."I explained our plight.

"Pokemon?You mean, like, Pikachu and stuff?" Megan 2 asked.I called out Pikachu.

"Pika?" it questioned its surroundings.

"A new dimension, Goldie," I told it.

"Chu."

"Yeah, get back in the pokeball, you're not safe here."

"Chaaa?"It asked as I returned it.

"Th-tha-that was a Pikachu."

"MmHmm."

"Oh, God, they exist!" Sugar said.

"Listen, people from this dimension, you need to get back to your rooms, or someone's gonna come looking for you, and we'll be discovered.See you all later.

"Ace! Ha ha! I win again!" Snowflake played his last card.Sabrina and I watched the game, along with Megan and Russel.We were playing Hearts with teams.Right now it appeared that Russell and his wife were winning.Sabrina and I had agreed to keep our psychic power out of this.

"Hey guys, after the dorm counselors call Lights Out, we sneak out the window, and find out what's doin' this to us.We're going to do everyting we can.Pokemon don't exist here, so we have to be careful."

"Yeah, well what about psychics?"

"I only sense us here, maybe others far away.None within a thousand miles.

"Lights out!" called a tired looking counselor.I slipped out the window, followed by Sabrina, Kim, Brian, Casey, and Snowflake.Megan and Russel elected to stay back.Kim, Snowflake, and Brian went to the left of the window, and we went to the right.We came around a corner, and ended up in the middle of a grassy area maybe thirty meters wide, where we had arrived earlier.I felt a dark presence, suddenly, appearing.My hand traced to my psyblade.Casey shivered, sensitive to its presence.It was gone.I kept aware.Sabrina whispered, instead of telepathy, because an enemy psychic could 'hear' our thoughts, that she'd felt it too.I looked around, nothing was in sight, at least out of the ordinary.We continued around, wary.We stayed out another hour.We regrouped in front of our window.The lights were out inside.I climbed in.I could see Megan and Russel, asleep, in a sleeping bag from one of their packs.I helped Sabrina and the others in, and looked fro another bag.There wasn't one.I grabbed the sheet that James had brought, and realized there was no pillow.Kim and Brian were asleep on the couch. I lay down, letting Sabrina use my chest as a pillow, which probably wasn't comfortable, but would be better than the floor.I lay my head back, and found that there was something like a cloth, or something, on the floor there.I bunched it up and used it as a pillow.I fell asleep, my arm lightly resting on Sabrina's stomach.

"Hey, Kelley, wake up!"Megan was saying.I opened my eyes.Sabrina was barely awake, and she mumbled something about breakfast.

"What, Meg?"

"Mind giving me my clothes?"

"Huh?Why would I have your clothes?"

"You're using them as a pillow."

"No, I'm not, You're wearing them..."I reached my hand beind my head and tossed them to her.

"How do you get dressed in a sleeping bag?" she asked.At that minute Megan 2 walked in, followed by me 2 and Casey 2.

"Hi, guys!What the hell!"Megan 2 said, almost stepping on Megan.

"Hi, self!"

"Are you naked?"

"No, I have a sock on."

"Geez, I thought...I hope you two are married."

"Actually, 

We finally arrived at breakfast, in mess hall that was called the Oak Room. We stood in line and got food that looked like roadkill, and sat down to eat.Maybe it was a pancake, maybe it was squirrel, but it didn't taste like either.It tasted more like industrial waste.It was terribly hard to eat with chopsticks, too.I wasn't used to the western utensils these people used.I poked the thing, and could almost see it move.I went in search of packaged food.Sabrina was behind me, as was most of my group, except Brain, who seemed to be able to eat the gerbil burritos.Don't ask how I know it's made of gerbils, that's a story I don't wish to recount.That, or Megan's discovery of Monkey Burgers.

By the second week I couldn't sleep because I'd been eating rice krispie treats ad packaged coffee.Snowflake had discovered that the psychology class had put vodka in the water.The rest of us drank soda, and subsequently found out where they had put aphrodesiacs.This proved for an interesting adventure, wherein we all had to stay away from people of the opposite sex until the effects wore off.Let's just say it didn't work.Needless to say, we didn't drink any more soda.Much...The stuff clouded your mind more than lots of Sake, which had caused me to wake up naked in an inflatable castle with the rest of the Merc group.I had no memory of the previous night, and niether did any one else, and haven't remebered it since.I hoped no memories came back, or it might result in Sabrina getting mad and killing whoever it was I had ended up doing something with.Or everything could be fine, and had been the result of a freak skinny-dipping accident.I had forgotten about it all until the soda experience.

That's just about when Darien appeared.He came as a kid inTFP.I could see the phermones just about dripping off him, and he was always surrounded by a swarm of scantily clad girls.The girls in this dimension were very flippant with clothing restrictions, which were non-existant, as far as I could see.Quite a few of the young ladies were wearing things that appeared to be made for Pikachus, and were closely clustered around my arch-enemy.I walked up to him.

"Hello, butthead."I greeted. I was almost hit by a flying mini-purse.He lunged at me, and I caught him in a psychic hold.

"Remember what Michael said, you can't hurt me."

"Oh, come, come, James.We're in a different dimension.You see, the Revs' religion has very little hold here, and yours in non-existant.I am free here."

"You're gonna be dead here, if you try anything stupid," I said, hand running to my gun.I changed my mind, and went for my psyblade.He jumped back, high, and flipped, landing twenty feet away, and flung a fireball at me.

"Oh, look, he's so powerful!He's so, intense!"said one of the members of his little squad of girls.

"He must be unique!So strong!"said another.The fireball came at me, and I turned it back at him.His eyes went wide as it hit him, as did his cheerleader squad's.He fell backwards.Quite a few heads turned, students and counselors alike.He had his psyblade out, as did I, and we clashed, blocking, striking.I knocked his blade away. He hadn't been practicing. His hand went for a pokeball.Mine did too, Lugia.The two pokemon came out, his a Gengar, mine, Lugia.The crowd gasped, and a few people screamed as Lugia unfolded its huge wings.

"Lugia, Hyper Beam!" I yelled.It fired a burning beam of energy at Darien's Gengar.Gengar shrieked.It tried to deflect the beam with its power.Lugia was too powerful, though, and Gengar fainted.

"Jesus, they've got them thingys from TV!" a guy in the back said.

"It's a pokemon!" I corrected.

"Hey, freak!" someone said, "you got a Pikachu?"

"Hey, dipwad, yeah!"I said.

"Pikachu, let's rock!" I called it out.Pikachu came out.

"What's yer name, rat?"

"Pika?"Goldie, my pikachu, a unique Golden Pikachu, asked.

"Goldie." I told the boy.

"Goldie, sounds kind of, whatsit, wussified."

"Really?"I asked.

"Yeah."

"Have you ever seen the pokemon show?"

"Not really."

"Wanna see what pikachu can do?"

"Maybe...Sure."

"Ok, Goldie, Thunderstorm him!"Bzzzzaaap!The kid was spastically waving his arms as he lay, looking like a dead possum, on the brick walkway.I stepped over him, as did my friends.

"Don't call my pokemon 'rat' ever again, ok?" I said, leaving.We walked out the arch, where we teleported into the CC commons, and ended up face to face with us playing fool, which is a card game, not a random thing we do.


	6. Chapter 5

**Pokemon: Merge**

**Part 2**

Chapter 1

"Hello, anyone home?"I knocked on the door of the Celadon Gym.I had broken the law to get here.I would hate if Ash found out.Erika, dressed in her favorite Kimono opened it.She was 16 now, older than when I'd left. She was more beautiful than ever, hair cropped short, brown eyes sparkling like diamonds.She enfolded me in a hug.I smelled her sweet perfume, and I felt comforted for a moment.I wasn't going to cry about Sabrina, I was going to save her.Erika held me out at arms length.

"I thought I'd never see you again."

"Told ya I'd be back."She pulled me to her, and kissed me.I didn't pull away, though I should have. 

"Erika, before we do anything like last time, you should know, I was married."

"_Was?"_

"Well, she turned evil and's probably screwing my evil brother right now."I sobbed.Okay. Maybe I was going to cry a bit.She hugged me, letting me rest my face on her delicate shoulder.I smiled up into her face, blinking away a tear.

"I'm back, though."

"For how long?"

"As long as it takes to figure this all out.With Mew I can return to the moment I left."

"When did you leave from?"

"Thirty years from now."

"What happens to me?"

"Well, lots."

"Like what?"

"Can we discuss it over tea?"

"Sure, c'mon in."

"Thanks.I owe you one."

We sipped tea in her personal living room, secluded deep in the gym.Her attendants lived in the city itself, but she remained here, in her gym.

"Why are you avoiding telling me what happens in the future?"

"I just don't think you should know?"

"Why? C'mon, tell me."

"Well, you die."

"How, why?"

"During a Rocket attack two years from now.The building is stressed by bombing, and the sections repaired after the fire from the attack several years back collapse.You happen to be standing near one when it happens.You were crushed.I was at your funeral.You can't imagine what it felt like."

"Oh, Goddish, I'm dead?"

"Well, kind of."

"Kind of?"

"I can take you to the future when I'm done here, and the temporal flux will make you live forever, that's the only problem.

"So you're invincible, I'm guessing, from all this time travel?"

"Yeah, just about."

"Cool, I think."

"You said you were married.Who's the lucky lady?"

"Well, it was someone I'm sure you know."

"Who?"

"Does it matter, she's gone now."

"Yeah, it does.Who?"

"Sabrina, from Saffron."

"Good choice, when she's not evil."

"Well, she is now, so I'll stay here with you, if it's alright."

"Yeah, it's been a while."

"Mmhm." Erika was the only other person I'd ever had a personal relationship with, other than Sabrina.And to tell the truth, I really wished I were single again, just for a day, to pick up where Erika and I had left off.

The next day I found the psychic marriage laws on a website posted by the psychic Hegemony, where I had been looking for a cure for Sabrina.Number 7 caught my eye.

7.If one or both of the married individuals becomes a Dark Psychic, their marriage vows, and all other binding legal contracts are nullified.

Now I knew that, and I was with Erika, and I was single, I wondered how long I could stay true to my ex-wife.Sabrina had tried to kill me twice, and Erika was the kindest person I knew, almost kind to a fault, but behind her kind and gentle front there was a strong person, with a challenging mind.She was also very beautiful.I didn't think I could resist her in my fragile state.

We lived at the gym for almost a year, and I eventually let her warp through a time warp to two minutes after she left, insuring that she'd never age physically, mentally, yes, but not physically.I usually stayed in the main forest area of the gym, sleeping with the trees and grass pokemon around me, but eventually, after six months, she persuaded me to stay in her quarters, on a futon in the living room.We usually stayed up late, talking about the past, future, and whatever else we thought about.More often than not we would fall asleep together on the rush mats covering the floor, waking with the other in our arms.I knew I was getting dangerously close to her.I didn't want to fall in love with her, with Sabrina needing my help in the future, but I did.Erika was so nice, her smile so convincing.And Sabrina was evil, so far away.I couldn't help myself, or if I could, I didn't.That's when it happened.

I woke one morning, Erika asleep in my arms, on her futon bed.I kissed her, and her eyes fluttered open.She kissed me back, but we were disrupted by the flashing of a portal.Megan stepped out.She looked battered, weakened.One leg was supported by biomechanical structure, and her face had deep gashes on it.One hand appeared to be mechanical.Her eyes burned with her usual fire. 

"James, what are you doing?You're married for Goddish sake!"

"No, Megan, I'm not.It's been a long time.Sabrina's turn to Dark power nullified our marriage."

"Well, things have gotten bad since you left, two years ago.Ash Ketchum was killed, along with his wife, Misty.David is also dead.Brock's in a coma, Snowflake and Brian were killed.I'm the only one left, and most of me is digital enhancements or replacements.Sabrina and Darien had twins during the first year, and she's pregnant again.Thanks to several dark psyburns, I'll never be able to have kids.Russell and Kim fell in love, if that's what you call it.All this is happening, and you're sitting here screwing some chick."

"I am not 'some chick,'" Erika said, angry.

"I've been working on a solution, and I should be to it soon, I can return to when I left.It's all going to be alright."

"Does it look alright?"Megan asked, showing the bare circuitry of her left hand.

"Once I go back, this version of you will never exist.You'll be all right, Sabrina will too."

"I exist now, I'm human, I feel pain, and I'm alive.Consider that, James.Just because you leave doesn't mean that time stops.Life goes on, and I am" She pulled me to my feet with a psychic hold.She put my hand on her chest, "there's a heart there.You need to stop thinking about what will happen, and start thinking about what you're going to do."

"Just give me time, I'll come back."

"James, you did come back, and you died.Sabrina killed you in front of me. I came back to before you left.I need to warn you.You can't stop the evil with anything but pure love.Nothing but."

"How did I die?I'm more powerful."

"You let your guard down."

"I was always weak to pretty ladies, eh?"

"Well, stick with one from now on, will you.Sabrina needs you.I need you."

"Ok, I'm going back.I'll go now, and see what I can do.If anything happens to me, come back here and get me again."Future Megan nodded, and I released Mew.It converged the energy on the portal power and opened a rift.

"James give this to the other me," Megan said, handing me her psyblade.Megan stepped through the portal.The rift closed.

"Mew, open a rift to the minute I left to come here."

"Goodbye, James," Erika said, tears in her eyes.I hugged her.

"It's not goodbye."I kissed her.

"What do you mean?"

"You're coming with me.I'll need all the help I can get."With that we stepped through the portal.Erika jumped a bit as the light flashed.She wrapped her arms around my neck.As everything turned upside down and spun she held me tighter.I felt sorry for her, and put my arm around her waist.Her grip relaxed a bit as she felt me hold her.Time travel was always scarier than dimensional travel, especially for a beginner, like the grass gym leader.We landed in the hotel room from which I'd left.Megan sat up, dazed.Snowflake looked up from his bed of shredded paper.Brian snored.Megan stared at Erika, and then back at me.

"You said I should give this to you."I handed Megan her psyblade.

"I know, I know everything that happened.It was a dream I had, and now it's coming true."

"Not a dream, a psychic link with yourself in the future."

"That explains it.Well. If that's true there's one thing I forgot to tell you.You can't just save Sabrina and the rest and expect it to be alright, you have to stop it at its source, Darien."

"I can't kill my brother.It doesn't matter if he's evil or not.I can't kill him."

"Then I will.He's not going to get away with stealing my best friend's wife, making my best friend miserable, and then taking my husband.No way," she said. She looked at the psyblade, "I may be a more powerful psychic with the powers of the future me, but I'm still a bit shady on how to use this."

"C'mon, to the mansion, I'll teach you.You too, Erika, we're going to get you some grass pokemon.Good ones, at that."So we left, my best friend, my ex-ex-girlfriend, and I, dragging a hamster and a half-wakened Brian out the hotel door, me flipping the man an amount that should have covered our room.And several others.He deserved it, I figured he'd end up cleaning out Snowflake's 'nest.'

"No, snap punch, reverse roundhouse, snap punch, back kick."I was teaching Erika some basic karate combinations.Megan stood to the side, watching.She thumbed the psyblade to life, and I broke off Erika's training, letting her fight a Hitmonchan, and went to instruct Megan with the psyblade.I ignited mine, and took her through the weakness finding, and then weakness preventing measures.She had natural talent with the psychic weapon, and I found myself on the ground, disarmed, very soon.Then I showed her how a psychic could teleport themselves and their blade to behind another's back.She had me disarmed again in a few seconds.She was good.Maybe she was picking up on the training of her future self. 

The skylight crashed in, and Darien fell through, landing on his feet.Sabrina and Russell and Kim came through after him.Brian rushed into the room.He pulled out a gun and realized he was aiming at his wife, Kim.He walked up to Kim and Russell.

"Honey, get this guy away from me," Kim said.

"Of course," Brian said.

"She means, me get you," Russell said, his arm around Kim's waist.He pulled out a pistol and fired a round at Brian.Brian dodged, sliding along the slick floor.I pulled my automatic pistol and shot the gun from Russell's hand.

"That's a no-no."

"Arrgh."

"Sabrina, handle your ex-friend, the Ranger."Darien pointed to me.I pulled out my psyblade.Megan had hers out and dove towards Darien.Sabrina rushed me, her psyblade slashing high.I caught it, flinging it back out of her hand.She pulled it back psychically before it hit the ground.I came in, disarming her again.The blade landed in my hand.She backed up, straight into a corner.She stopped, inches from the wall.

"Ok, you win.Do with me what you want."

"All I want is you."

"I don't do hentai."

"I'm not talking about that.I'm talking about you.I want you back."

"Why? I'm evil now, even by my own judgment. And I'm sleeping with your brother."

"So?I love you, for whoever you are.Evil or not, you're still my Sabrina.I'll always love you."

"What?"

"I love you."

"Stop, don't say that, you can't, it hurts."

"I love you."

"No, c'mon, please."

"No, I love you."

"Please..."I took her in my arms and kissed her, and I felt the darkness leaving her, like a weight being lifted from her shoulders.We broke away, and I looked into her eyes.They seemed glassy.

"Thank you, James..." her eyes closed and she passed out in my arms.I carried her over to a couch, and then realized my friends needed help.I dove, kicking out Russell's legs.He fell on top of me, but rolled to the side, and, regaining his balance, kicked me forcefully.My head spun, and I tasted blood.He kicked again, but I caught his foot, twisting it.I heard a definite snap.Then he punched me in the solar plexus.The air rushed out of my lungs. And the fighting continued.Megan and Darien spun, psyblades clashing again and again.Erika stood, horrified, to one side.

"Erika, help Sabrina," I called, fending off a painful barrage of Russell's blows.Megan kicked Darien back, into a wall, He fell, almost dropping his blade.He looked worn out.His eyes closed.

"I got him," Megan called, looking towards me.Darien's eyes flashed open, and his psyblade came up towards Megan's heart.

"Megan, noooo!" I yelled.She jumped back, the blade missing her heart, cleanly slicing off her left hand.She gasped, and fell to her knee, her psyblade dropping.Megan's blade dropped onto Darien, slicing him clean through the head.The two halves of my brother fell opposite directions.I rushed to Megan's side.Russell, seeming to snap out of the darkness at Darien's demise, limped over.Kim and Brian, hand in hand, also came.We were able to get her to the medical bay, where Erika, with the help of a medical robot, was able to fit a cybernetic hand to Megan's arm.It was keyed to nerve action, and for all uses and purposes, was a real enough hand.Sabrina lay on the next table, still knocked out.When Megan could stand and perform her usual duties I asked her to run a diagnostic on Sabrina.She did. Sabrina was still unconscious, but I knew she would come to soon.Megan had some disturbing news.

"What?" I asked, as she pulled me aside.

"James, the diagnostics of Sabrina's systems say she's in working order, and the psychic analysis machine says she's a light psychic again."

"Than what's wrong?"

"She's pregnant, James."

"Huh?"  
"You heard me.DNA tests should finish soon, but I can't say anymore till then."

"Goddish."

Erika stayed up late with me, while Sabrina slept, still in a coma.Erika and I were talking, over tea, as usual.I would have asked Megan to join us, but she can't stand the tea, and Erika can't stand the smell of coffee, and, also, Megan was with Russell.I wished Sabrina would wake up sooner than later, so we could sort everything out.

"Did I tell you Sabrina's pregnant?"I asked my friend.She looked up, wide-eyed, from her tea, or cha, as it is called in Japan.

"Goddish, aren't you two a bit too young to have kids?"

"Yeah.The thing is, I don't think the kid's mine.Darien is the only other person she's been with."

"Well, I mean, uh... Couldn't you have uh, how do you teen guys say it?Um, slipped one past the goalie, or something."

"No.A psychic won't get pregnant unless she wants to.It's part of the whole matter manipulation concept."

"I see.So that's why I never..."

"Yeah."

Sabrina woke up at noon the next day.I had been by her bedside since the early morning, and had fallen asleep in my chair, my head had fallen to her lap.When she woke she nudged my head.

"Wake up, James.I'm trying to get up."

"I'd imagine that that is harder with my head on your lap."

"Well, not really, but I didn't want to dump you on the ground."

"Yes, it would hurt considerably more than waking up."I kissed her.

"I'm glad I woke you up," she said, then kissed me back.I teleported us to the bedroom.I kissed her again.Then I drew back.

"What is it, James?You look, um... troubled."

"Well, I am."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly, at least not with you.I love you and all, but it's just..."

"Something you can't talk to me about, " she finished, "Maybe someone else, like, _Erika!"I was stung by the accusation in her words.She knew about Erika.She must have seen her earlier.I had no idea how long she'd been awake before she woke me._

"Erika has nothing to do with this."

"Then who does, Megan?Or did you actually have to find someone you didn't know to have a little fling with while I was gone?"

"Actually, it just about you, and I was just waiting for the right moment."

"Yeah right, if it's so important, why don't you just tell me now.

"Sabrina..."

"Now!"

"Ok, Ok.Sabrina, um, sorry, uh.You're pregnant, ok, I said it, I got it out in the open, ok?"

"Me, no, I wouldn't let...It wouldn't have..."

"Just mentally scan yourself, it's painfully evident."She closed her eyes for a second.

"Oh, Goddish, I'm sorry.It must have been Darien.I was evil, I'm sorry.It was too hard to resist him."

"It's alright, it's alright."I enfolded her in a hug.She sobbed quietly on my shoulder.Darien was dead, but he had dealt the ultimate damage, he had made his evil invincible.He was going to try to make me raise his kids.I was going to stop this once and for all.But how?

Several weeks later, I was at the newest tournament.I was sitting in the stands, while Sabrina, who was not even engaged to me, was off with her boyfriend.She had said that we'd best wait before getting back into our relationship.I knew what that meant.She had said that, "maybe we should see other people."Sure, she was young and beautiful, and she'd broken my heart.I almost instinctively knew that we could never be together again.Ever.She had even moved out of our house.I was single again.Probably forever.David was gone on assignment, and Erika had gone to set things straight in Celadon.The Mercs were mostly running Anti-Rocket operations for the league, and that left me alone.Even Casey had things to do.I was watching a dynamite match between a Charizard and Bakufuun.

Bakufuun dove under the Charizard's attack.Bakufuun's trainer, Sean, a guy I had met at a tournament once, commanded it to use a Slash attack.Charizard was thrown backward, slightly bleeding from gashes Bakufuun's claws had left.

"Charizard, Fire Spin!"

"Bakufuun, Reflect it back at Charizard!"Charizard was trapped in its own Fire Spin.

"Bakufuun, dig under the fire spin and finish it with a slam!"

"Bakuu!Fuuun!"

"Charrrr!"Charizard cried out in panic at the ground erupted beneath it, revealing Bakufuun, a firey menace.Charizard was knocked out.Its trainer called his next Pokemon, Poliwrath, which knocked out the wily Bakufuun.Sean chose his next pokemon, Entei, a Legendary Fire Dog.It made short work of Poliwrath, and the other four pokemon the trainer had.

"And Sean is the winner!" announced a loudspeaker.The crowd cheered.Sean was going into round 2.

"Next up, Jeremiah Filkins, and Terrance Philips. Come on down."Jeremiah was a grass trainer, with a secret.I had also known him for a while.

"Oddish, Go!" Jeremiah chose his little weed.He had spent weeks training it with moves that didn't usually work on its type, but he had found ways around his pokemon's disability.Terrance let out his pokemon, a Moltres, which would normally have made short work of Oddish, except that Jeremiah's was special.

"Oddish, poison it with poison powder, then dig!"

"Ha, you're inexperienced, Oddish can't dig," Terrance said to Jeremiah.At that second the poison powder hit Moltres, poisoning it, and then the Oddish dug.Jeremiah had taught it to dig.Moltres was weakened continuously by poison, while Oddish hid underground.Moltres fainted.

I watched the matches progress, until the announcer called the end of that day's competition.I walked back to my room.On the way back, I saw two guys dressed in Pokemon League uniforms chasing a man in a Rocket uniform.The rockets showed up too often.They managed to corner him.I walked up, hand on my pistol, ready for action.

"Need some help?"

"Wouldn't mind it," said a familiar voice, but I couldn't place it.The agent handcuffed the rocket, while the other read him his rights.The first agent turned around.It was Sugar.He holstered his pistol.

"Goddish, you work for the League?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah, we were on assignment at the Rocket Facility, with the demonstones, and you just had to give us trouble.The reason we kidnapped you and Sabrina was to reveal ourselves as your allies, and if you weren't from the League, dispose of you, easily."

"You could have just told me," I said, "So you aren't gay, right, that was just an act?"

"Yeah, worst undercover identity we've done yet.That was horribly embarrassing.And turns out you're a ranger.Great way to look in front of your superior, eh?Gay.Funny. "

" Ever heard of Don't Ask Don't Tell? We have a policy. Yeah, well, I'm going to get some coffee, or perhaps a very heavily spiked cup of sake.Call me if you need anything."

"Yeah.

"Whoa, Kelley, you look pretty beat," Megan said, walking in the door.I had just woken up, at midnight.I was sitting at the table in the kitchen of the mansion.Megan had just gotten back from a shopping spree.Her husband, Russell, was already asleep.I pushed a chair out for her with my foot.She sat down.My suitcase was sitting, packed by the door.

"I looked pretty when I'm not... Ah, what the hell, humor isn't working for me right now.

"Where you headed?"

"Dunno, somewhere new, I guess.Somewhere where they need me, or maybe after Sabrina."

"James, she's great, but do you want to burden yourself with all that, or what's more, could you live raising your evil brother's kids?"

"No, but I can fix it, I know I can, just not how."

"Only time will tell.Well, remember where we are, you'll always have a home here."

"Well, it is my mansion."I smiled.Megan had always been there, and I got the feeling she always would be, to listen.

"Sake?" I asked, pouring myself a glass of the rice wine.

"Sure, not too much, you remember the bouncy castle..."  
"Yeah.Well, not actually that much..."

"That's a good thing," she said, barely audible.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, I didn't say anything."

"Riiight.Okay."

"What?"

"Nothing.Listen, Megan, I'll see you around, if I'm alive, so goodbye for now.I'll be back."I grabbed my bags, and left.She was still drinking sake.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

School Day Blues

(What Happens Between Classes)

I didn't know how the hell I had ended up here.I'd been out way too long, had a little too much sake, and ended up in a girl's dorm's commons room buried in laundry bags.I didn't even go to school!I hoped that this wasn't like that night with the bouncy castle.I kicked the laundry bags off.I sat up, rubbing my head, and psychically flicked on the lights.There was a girl standing in the corner.At least I thought it was a girl, judging by the dorm I was in, but I couldn't see her face.She was wearing a black cloak with a red jewel clasp.Strange, even for prep school.She poked me with an ebony staff.Where the fuck did that come from?

"Who, ummm… Who are you?"I asked, standing.She snickered.

"Huh?" I said.

"Kai Li," she murmered, "Kai Li."

"How do you know my name?Not another psychic…"

"Sore wa himitsu desu," she laughed.

"Yeah, you too, whatever.I'm not feeling so great, is there somewhere I can collapse and pass out," she pointed to the laundry bags, "that doesn't smell like beer," I added.She shrugged, and reached into the cloak.She produced a piece of paper, which she may have tossed at me, seeing at that point I had a relapse of the sake hangover, and fell back into the laundry.

When I woke up, again, there were girls, and quite a few of them staring down at me.All was still and quiet. 

"Pervert!" one yelled, kicking me painfully in the ribs.I wondered if they were demons, or just Sabrina's contemporaries.The others joined in the kicking; one of them tossed a pokeball, out of which popped Clefairy.It did its best to look frightening, which only made it look as if it was smoking something, make that several somethings.I pulled a pokeball.

"Mewtwo, let's rock!" I flung it psychically to the ground.As it opened, the girls stopped kicking, and clefairy suddenly stopped looking menacing.I stood up, and dusted myself off.Mewtwo stared the kicking girls down.

"Okay, ummm, where am I, for one thing?"

"Ummm, Watarishi Karasu Tech."

"Right, okay, doesn't that mean, Watarishi Crow Tech?"

"Shut up, you aren't supposed to know that, we were never here."They rushed from the room, leaving me alone.

"Thanks!" I said cheerfully/sarcastically.I wandered outside.The bright light was almost too much.I stumbled out, tripped over a bike rack, and looked up to see the shoes of a student.He looked down at me.

"Rough night?"

"Unk!" I exclaimed, spitting dirt out.I levitated myself up to a standing position.He shifted his backpack.

"You're psychic, right?"

"Uh-huh."Mewtwo pushed his way out the door, looking as confused as a giant cat-like creature can.I recalled it.

"So you have pokemon, too?"

"Yeah."He started walking away, and I followed him.

"Can I get food here somewhere?"

"Follow me, I'm going to the dining hall.Not like they'll notice another kid."

"Thanks.I'm James, by the way."

"I'm Kevin."We walked down to the dining hall, a large brick building. As we entered we acquired trays, and stood in line.It reminded me of a scene from Oliver Twist.After the line, we walked to tables, which hadn't been cleaned in quite a while.I sat down, my pants sticking to the unwashed chair, tray sticking to the table.I prodded the lump of brown goo, which I had chosen over the vomit-like substance.I looked up to Kevin, and noticed the cloak person, sitting next to Kevin. I could see her face now, just barely, in the light of the cafeteria.It _was a girl, maybe nineteen, a semi-smile on her face._

"Uh, hello, again.Are you going to tell me your name yet?" I asked.Kevin didn't seem to notice her as he munched on the fried squirtle, or whatever it was.

"You first, Kojiro."

"That made little or no sense," her smile brightened a bit, she was trying to confuse me, "But, my name is James Kai Li, Everyone calls me Kojiro, though."

"I know!" she replied, almost giggling it out.Who the hell was she?And why did she know my name?

"Now you answer my question."

"What question?"Another giggle.

"I asked what your name was."

"What it was, or what it is, take your pick!"More giggling.That was getting annoying, even to someone with as much patience as I had, which was severely diminished after that night in the laundry bags.

"How about both?"

"One or the other," she said.Laughing at her own little joke.What joke? I wondered.She was way too cheery.That bothered me.Always has.

"Okay, what it is, then."

"What is what?"This was getting severely old.I stretched out a tendril of psychic energy, attempting to probe it out of her mind.I just had to keep her talking.

"You name.What is it?"

"Ahem!" Cute frown, "what game are you playing, little boy?" she asked, forcing the tendril back.It was weak anyway.She had psychic power, or something like it.

"Again, I'll ask, what is your name?"

"You may call me Kira."

"Now we're getting somewhere."

"Somewhere, nowhere, what's the difference?"

"All too much, if you ask me."

"Oh, you're just depressed because your wife is pregnant by your evil brother, left you, and you can't remember what happened in the past 24 hours."Smile again.

"Why do you say that?"

"I know more, or less, however you define it."

"Speak English!"

"How about Nihongo?"

How about this? I asked psychically.

Whatever... psychic giggle, if they exist.

So you _are psychic._

Maybe, maybe you're imagining me.

I don't imagine cloaked people a lot.

Sure you don't psychic sarcasm.

Stop with the non-committal answers...

Maybe.

Just tell me, are you psychic, before I get a worse migraine.

Whatever physical injury you have, I can assure you I did not inflict it.But yes, you could call me psychic.

How about calling you Kira.

What about it?

Never mind, just never mind....She grinned.Kevin was oblivious.He poked at the rubber-like desert on his plate.

Is that food on your plate, and are you going to eat it?

Not without sterilization.She snickered.

Ah, so you do have a sense of humor.

I wasn't joking.This stuff really needs cleansing.

Really?Interesting. she produced a salt shaker from somewhere in the cloak.She sprinkled some on my food, making it look shitty, and salty.She passed the salt to me.

By the way, what is that stuff, she asked, pointing to the salt, one hand actually leaving the cloak.

"Ugh, headache..." I said aloud.She produced a bottle of Aspirin.And a bottle of water.I downed the pill.

What have you got under that cloak, a mini-mall?

Sore wa himitsu desu!

You don't know what that means, do you?She repeated the last sentence.Wrong, she did.

If it's so much a secret, then, I really don't want to know.

"Okay," she said, in normal speech.Kevin looked up.

"Huh?" he asked, noticing the girl.I think she had decided that he was gong to notice her now.Weirder than me or Sab, combined.Whatever.I'd met weirder than her.I didn't want to call up any memories of PokeMerecenaries Inc. Now that was weird. That and fossilized food.

You kept that paper?

Hai, domo. Yes very. I pulled the crumpled paper from the pocket of my trenchcoat.I unfolded it.I read it, and looked up at her.She smiled, nodded, disappeared, leaving nothing but a pine fresh scent.Or maybe that was the 'orange juice.'I read it again, "Non illegitimi carborundum est."Don't let the bastards grind you down.

"What is it?" Kevin asked.I folded it back up.

"Story of my life."But how did she know that?

Kevin and I finished our food-substitute, and left.He showed me the way to a dorm.

"This your dorm?"

"No, it's just a dorm.School's over, half-day.It's national Peat Bog Awarness Day. I have to go home now, I'm a day student."

"Oh, why this dorm?"

"It's the weird one, no one will notice a psychic here."

"How do _you know I'm psychic?"_

"Just a hunch, and the fact that you were talking psychically to that girl who was trying to make me not notice her."

"Unk?"I said, for the second time that day.

I ended up in the common room, again.Where were these laundry bags coming from? If the ones in the girls' dorm smelled like beer, what did these smell like?I didn't want to know.Several guys watched TV for a while, and I did my best not to be seen, as in using Affect Mind Power.Seeing as they couldn't see me, I left them alone.It would have been fun to make the TV only get the national cheese channel, but I had other things to worry about, like trying to remember tonight when I woke up tomorrow.Right now, I couldn't think of anything to do, so I put up a psychic shield, and sat in the hall.As the first few people started tripping over me and piling up in front of room 207's door, that's when I felt a RANDOM FLASHBACK!!!!

# "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.Then quit. There's no use being a damn fool about it."

_"Who said that?"_

_"W.C. Fields."_

_"Is he the cookie guy?" Joseph asked._

_"No, I don't think so."We walked away from the ring.Snowflake's leering defeater, Alex, stood in the middle, arm around his giant Meganium, as it panted, tired from the tournament.Snowflake's pokemon, Typhlosion, had just lost, due to some interesting attacks the grass type had used.One of them had been Hydro Pump.This was strange.Hydro pump was water, not grass.I teleported to the pokemon center, while Snowflake returned to the hotel where the other Mercs were staying.Brian and Kim were already out of the fight, beaten yesterday on round 57.I had another match today, against Alex.Megan's pokemon were in healing now.She had also been beaten by the mysterious Alex.In two hours I would find out what exactly he could do against psychic attacks.I stood in the pokemon center, while the victorious Alex walked in, flocked by several not too innocent looking schoolgirls.He shrugged one's hand off his shoulder, and tossed his pokeballs unceremoniously at Joy, who stood, stock still behind the counter.She caught the pokeball belt.He swaggered off towards his room, the girls following.I teleported to just behind his door.He unlocked the door, while making peculiar comments, which I will not write here, to the girls about whipped cream and an inflatable dragonite.He swung the door open, to find a pistol in his face._

_"Come in, sit down make yourselves at home," I said, motioning with my non-occupied hand towards the lavish bed in his room.The four did as told.He protested, but stopped when I shoved the gun closer to his face.He sat on the edge of his bed._

_"What's with the Meganium, eh?" I asked._

_"Nothing."_

_"It shouldn't know Hydro Pump!"_

_"It does, what are you going to do about it?"I found it was hard to psychically probe his mind.I started my next question, or was about to when his foot whipped into the air, followed by his other foot, one catching my gun hand, and sending the gun high into the air to land far across the room, the other caught me in the stomach, and I doubled over, at the last second turning it into a sharp spinning kick.As a result, I was on my back on the floor.He produced a taser from his pocket and aimed it at me.He squeezed the trigger, and I redirected the energy, turned it around and hit him with it._

_"Huh?" were his exact words.He toppled over, a nasty burn making smoke come out o his jacket.The three girls cowered at the head of the bed.I tossed a thousand pokeyen on the bed, and left, taking Alex's wallet with me._

_"Sorry I crashed the party, by yourselves something nice._

__

_"Joy, I need an analysis on the pokemon the guy, Alex, gave you.I need their stats, moves, whatever."_

_"I'm sorry Mr. Umm…What did you say your name was?"_

_"Kai Li, Kojiro."_

_"Yes, Mr. Kai Li, I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to give you that information.If you had League Clearance, then sure, but I can't give that out otherwise."_

_"Well, shit.Thanks anyway."_

_"Bye!"_

_ _

_I opened the wallet, and emptied its contents onto the table.Megan sat across from me, sipping a cup of coffee.I looked at the small pile, a monument to a weird-ass teen trainer.A hundred pokeyen, in ones, a credit card, with someone else's name on it, three unopened condoms, two opened ones, a Johto Girls of Summer Edition Wallet Calendar and the recruitment card for Team Rocket, not too mention the incredibly long list of phone numbers._

_"Megan, I need sterilizer, lots and lots of sterilizer."_

_"Yeah.Ick…"She set the coffee down._

_ _

_ _

__"Fuzzy memories?"It was that girl, Kira, again.

"Huh?"

"Great memory sequence.I really liked the way Alex reacted, 'Huh?'"

"Are you still invading my thoughts?"

"Mmm hmm!" she smiled, barely visible under the hood of the cloak.Then the cell phone beeped.

"Kojiro Kai Li here!"

"Kojiro, this is Magistrate Will, of the Psychic Hegemony."

"Yes, good evening magistrate," I replied, wary now.The troglodytes barely ever came out of their council chamber cave.Will was the head of it all.He was also a Member of the Elite Four.He only called heroes, or those condemned to a terrible fate.Kira's eyes lit up in interest as I shot her a glance.

"Kojiro, you are under arrest for abuse of psychic powers granted to you.You are to report to the Council for trial and sentencing, so justice may be served.Thank you.You are required to arrive in two hours, or we will have you terminated.Good evening."Click…

"That was not supposed to happen, no not at all!" Kira said.

"Huh?Kira, Karma is Karma, whatever happens, happens. It doesn't matter, really."

"Well, it wasn't supposed to happen."

"What was?"

"Sore wa himitsu desu!"That is a secret.

"You like saying that.You know, you could say it in English."

"Iye, it's not as much fun.Now we have to get you out of trouble."

"Let's go then."I grabbed her hand, and she shied back, surprised, as we were enveloped by the teleport's blue glow.We appeared at the court of the Psychic Hegemony.Will sat on his seat, raised high to show his superiority.I stood in the center of a ring of gold embedded in the floor of the chamber.Will stared down at me.I returned his icy stare.Two his left sat a girl, dark-haired, blue eyes burning.To his right sat a man, Mr. Psychic, his only name.The room was dark, lit only by the torches on the walls.I released Kira's hand.She looked around.

_ _


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
Goldenrod  
Revelations, Exclamations, and Sweaty People.  
  
  
  
  
-FLASH- We appeared ten feet above Goldenrod Game Corner. Kira was floating next to me. I was hovering. We landed, and I unfolded the paper and read the address.   
  
Kagasuri Dance Party Mania Land  
20 Main Street  
Goldenrod, Johto  
  
  
"Riiight. Okay, let's go," Kira said, walking off as if she already knew where to go.  
"Wait a second. Why are you helping me? I just appear, and then you appear, and now you're helping me. I've never met you before. Why?"  
"Sore wa himitsu desu," she said distractedly.  
"Great, yes, more secrets. Alright, let's go." We started off downtown, and it only took eight hours to find Kagasuri Dance Party Mania Land. It was night-time when we got there. Outside, it was quiet. I opened the door. Music blasted, the bass almost knocking me to the ground. The whole building was sound-proof! Kira followed me in. We walked through a metal detector, and, although I am really heavily armed, it didn't go off, as, aside being armed, I am psychic, and it was a small matter to short it's circuits for three seconds. There were masses of people on several different levels. Outside I had seen a small dome. It was only the top level. The main dance area went down another three, and there were several other levels with miles of passages, other rooms and arenas. It was gigantic. Taking up the rear, Miss. Himitsu was looking around, slightly suspicious. I could sense a strange presence too. I turned to her. Then I noticed the cloak, or at least the absence of it.  
"Weren't you wearing a long black cloak when we came in here?" I asked. She was wearing a red dress. Like the ones in the weird anime, with the belled-out sleeves.  
"What long black cloak?"  
"Ummm. Nevermind." We must have looked slightly odd. A girl in a red sorceress dress, and a guy in a trenchcoat, black jeans, and a black Kung Fu shirt. Pretty damn weird. Pretty damn weird.   
  
We made our way to the third tier of the main dance arena, where a trio of Delibirds, their natural 'tuxedos,' making them look even stranger surrounded by a bunch of dancing people in traditional Goldenrod Night Dance outfits (Males: Ricky Martinish stuff or the Baggy Look. Females: Not Much.) Kira and I must have look really strange, being fully clothed and all. There was a ring shaped bar in the middle of the tier, lit by neon lights. I sat at a stool, and my companion, naturally, disappeared.  
  
"Anything to drink, sir?" The bartender asked.  
"Nah, it was pretty bad last time I drank anything. But maybe you can provide some information."  
""Well, maybe, what do you need?"  
"Have you seen this girl?" I showed him a picture of Sabrina that randomly teleported into my hand. His eyes widened, and he was visibly shaken.   
"No, sir."  
"Well, thank you. Perhaps some of the other staff saw her. Tell me, where is the manager's office?"  
"Down the stairs through that door over there."  
"Thanks. Oh yeah, I was never here."  
"No, you weren't."  
  
Where the hell had Kira gotten off to? I walked down the stairs. There was a brightly lit tunnel, going for miles in either direction, every so often there was a door. Bass music boomed from upstairs, but it was still strangely quiet. There was a sign on the wall.  
Manager's Office --  
--Spas, Hot Tubs, Bar, and Hall 13  
  
"Hmm. Toughie." I went right.   
"Psychic Speed! Ha!" I sent myself flying down the hall, to abruptly stop in front of the manger's office. I opened the door. He was not at his desk, Kira was, though. Her feet were up on the important papers, and she was playing a RPG on the Playsation 32. She had changed wardrobe again. Now she was wearing a dark purple cloak, with black inlay.  
"Hello, you aren't the manager, are you?"  
"Nope. He doesn't exist. This is a trap. Hehe. Or at least it was." She pointed to three burly men, tied up with duct tape, and duct taped to a wall. They cringed away from her finger.  
"Woah. Thanks, I guess."  
"Yep. Now, if I'm not mistaken, someone needs your assistance in Hall 13. I'll meet you at the bar." She got up and went into the hall. I followed, and found an empty hall.   
"Psychic Spe... Oh, what the fuck. Teleport!" I landed in front of a nondescript door that said, in big, bold letters, and I quote, "HALL 13." I pushed open the door. There were a lot of crates. Crates, and several Baggy Look guys chasing a frightenmed looking young woman into a corner.  
"You, know, Boss said to deal with her. He neva said we couldn't have a little fun."  
"Stop. Hey, you, at the door. Help, please!" The guys whirled at me. They had name-tags on. Rocky, Rockie, and Rocko.   
"Leave, before we have to hurt you," Rocky, the ringleader, it appeared said, attempting to look menacing. He looked like a constipated Slobro.  
"Yeah," Rocko agreed, a not-too-bright look on his face.  
"Well, if that's the way it is. Do your worst."  
"Hehe. Let's kick his ass, then we can finish with the girl." The first thug came at me. He punched sloppily. I caught the punch and turned it until it snapped loudly. He fell, gripping his arm. His partner attacked, pulling a jump kick. I ducked under, caught it and threw him to the ground. He stood up, coughing. I kicked him in the face with a roundhouse. Spitting blood to the floor, he fell over. The one with the broken arm attacked again, sporting a knife in his good hand. I kicked it from his hand. He tried a fast kick, but found that he was suddenly on the ground. I kicked his neck, snapping it, and his head lolled to one side. Rocko stood in the back, staring at the two fallen Baggy Pants guys.   
"C'mon, Rocko, let's go."  
"Nuh-uh. I'm leaving."   
"No, if you leave, they'll know what happened. I'm sorry, you don't get to leave." He pulled a gun. I pulled mine faster. Rocko dropped. The girl was standing, open mouthed, staring at her three assailants.  
"Well, we should leave now," I told her. She closed her mouth and kept staring. She made no move to come with me.  
"C'mon."  
"How do I know I can trust you?" I pulled out the League Ranger Badge. She nodded.  
"A Ranger? Wow. I though they were just stories made up to frighten Rockets into submission."  
"I'm real as far as I know." She followed me to the door. She grabbed a bag that had been lying in the darkness. It clinked as she slung it over her shoulder. We walked the way to the bar.  
"I never caught your name."  
"Your badge says Kojiro. My name is Tekazou, Musashi Tekazou."  
"Well, pleased to meet you. We have an appointment to keep."  
"Huh?"  
"You're coming with me, I'm not leaving you alone down here."  
"Oh, okay." We entered the bar. I spotted Kira's cloak in a back booth. I could see two more people in the booth with her, but couldn't see their faces. I led Musashi over. As we neared I could see Kevin, Kira, and a girl hadn't met. Musashi sat, bowing slightly to my friends, observing Japanese customs. I sat, a hand ready to go for my gun. Kira smiled darkly. The new girl bowed her head quickly.  
"I'm Raven. They call me Karasu."  
"I know."  
"Huh?"  
"I'm psychic."  
"Ahh." At this time a tough looking guy burst through the door. He was followed by two other heavily armed men.   
"Check please! Table two!" Kira said. My hand grasped the cold grip of my gun. Kira and I stood, allowing the others to get up. Suddenly the few denizens of the bar disappeared.   
"You guys want trouble?" asked one of the men.  
"Just as much as you want it."  
"We don't tolerate smart-asses here."  
"So it seems." While I had been discussing this with the thugs, Kira had found a door. I reached out with my mind, disarming the men. The guns appeared in a pile of twisted burning metal on a table.  
"Don't mess with us." The thugs were slightly shaken, but they didn't leave. I admired them, or what's left of them.  
"Psychic... Burn!!!" A huge ball of purple-pink energy shot at them. It vaporized everything in its path, and reduced the thugs to goo.  
"Do you think the wanton violence is necessary?" Musashi asked.  
"Yeah," Kevin said. We teleported out of the Dance hall to a park in Goldenrod. It was dark out, but the sky shone with the first rays of morning's light. We collapsed on the ground. I was weak from the Psychic Fire. Kira was not there. Musashi had sat on a bench, and was opening her bag. Kevin and Raven were dazed.   
"Be right back!" Musashi yelled, and then seemed to rocket into a tree. The leaves rustled, and she landed, wearing a samurai kimono, the Miyamoto seal on the sleeve.  
"Huh?" Kevin and I asked. Karasu was asleep.  
"As I told you before, I am Musashi Tekazou. What I didn't tell you is that my name is Musashi Tekazou no Miyamoto. I am descended from Miyamoto Musashi, the brave sword master that defeated Sasaki Kojiro. I am samurai, one of the last of a dying breed."  
"Huh?" We asked. Karasu snored.  
"I'm a samurai. Miyamoto family heir."  
"Oh. Yeah, okay." She pulled the clinking objects, four swords, from her bag. No-Dachi, Tachi, Katana, and Wakizashi.  
"These are my ancestor, Miyamoto Musashi's swords. My Enemy, Kojiro Tokagana Sasaki runs that place. I have sworn my revenge upon him!"  
"Revenge? For what?"  
"My parents, my family, all of them adept with swords, murdered."  
"I'm sorry. I can see why you'd want to kill him."  
"Yes. I thank you for saving me. Ironic that my savior be named Kojiro."   
"Well, normally, I'm not supposed to let random malice occur, but seeing as he killed your family, I should put in an investigation, and most probably an ass whooping."  
"I again thank you, and am honored by your assistance."  
"Well, let's find Kira, and then we'll get a move on. Besides, that guys has something to do with the disappearance of my wife." Why would Will have known where to send me? Why would Sabrina have come here? This was getting complicated.  
"Are you leaving without me?"  
"Huh?" Kira had appeared, again with a change of clothing. Now she was wearing a bizarre armor dress. OI didn't think they made them anymore. Keidaren Industires, 1896. This one had seen some battle. She was armed with... a fan? We walked, a ragtag assortment of warriors, samurai, students, Pokemon Ranger J, and... Fan Lady.  
  
The dance hall wasn't blasting anything. The lights didn't flash. There were no cars parked outside, no stoned Ricky Martin guys throwing up on the sidewalk, and no under clothed girls patting them on the back. I Psykicked the door, gliding gracefully and slowly into it, hitting it, and making it fly eighteen feet backwards. Our 'army' stood in the door of a deserted dance hall. We entered. Metal doors slid down over all the windows, and the doors too. The only open doors were the ones to the lower levels. We looked around. Music started blasting. The Venga Boys' "We Like to Party." Lights flashed. My psychic sense alerted me to the weird presence. A man appeared. He looked about 18.   
"Greetings random assholes!" I guessed this was Sasaki.   
"Hello!" I waved enthusiastically, pulled out a pistol, and fired several rounds at him. He ducked, and suddenly wasn't there.  
"I'd make a traditional bad guy speech, but, what the hell. FUCK YOU!" His voice was on the intercom. The floor burst open, revealing Pokemon I'd never seen before. They were genetically engineered. Each one carried the weapons of one of the people in our party. Their forms were grotesques bastardizations of the human they represented. Each squared off with the equivalent human. Mine towered above me. It had at one time been a Machamp. Two arms held psyblades the others were holding guns. The head star of a Kadabra was on its forehead. It had Articuno's wings. I stared at it. This wouldn't be easy. The others started their critter down. Kevin dropped into a fighting stance that I recognized as Jeet Kune Do. Raven's hands came together to bring a psychic firewall attack. I hadn't known she was psychic.  
  
Kira stood opposite her hybrid critter. She looked at it.  
"Look at you, you're a sad excuse for me! No fan! You really suck!" Long metallic bars shot out of its front. Blades folded down from them. Skarmory's fan-like wings.   
"You're not even original!" Her hand shot out, sent a blast at the critter. It blocked with its wings, which got burned straight through, and fell over, a large hole in its chest.  
"Cheesy hybrid shit." She shook her head and put her fan away. Why couldn't I have gotten the easy one? The creatures attacked simultaneously. In under a second, Musashi's creature was dead, cloven in two by her sharp samurai no-dachi. She was after Sasaki. Kevin glided into the air with a graceful flying kick, gliding past the monster's defenses. It fell, and he kicked its neck until it snapped. Raven had finished her critter off with one blast. These things were hideously weak! I expected my fight to be easy, too. The creature swung with a psyblade, mine parried. I kicked it, expecting the solid thud of foot on critter. It blocked me, and sent me flying into a wall.   
"Okay, okay, I ran over budget after making the big one, all the others required leaving out major parts, like brains and muscles. Shit," Sasaki on the intercom. The others moved to help me, and the room suddenly started filling with the armed baggy pants men. They all looked like Rocko, but bigger, and dumber, and with lots of random weapons.  
The Death Machamp came at me again, swinging its powerful arms, letting off blasts of psychic energy. I blocked what I could. The butt of a gun struck my face, but I kicked up, taking the gun out of its hand, and firing back at it. The bullets hit, but truly didn't phase it. My psyblade's purple blade flashed into existence, and I struck the creature. My blade was blocked, and he swung with the other, powerful arm. I psychically grabbed the arm, twisting the wrist. He dropped his blade, and I psyburned it. Now he couldn't use it. I kicked it when it was weak. Then it was up again, suddenly it wasn't so weak. It grabbed me. I tried to break away, but it was too strong. It was slowly crushing in on my ribs. I was using every bit of psychic power I had to breathe. At that point it fell over, sliced in half with a psyblade. I fell to the ground. When I looked up at my savior I found that it was Sabrina. She held her psyblade low, frozen in her follow through.  
"Miss me?"  
"Did I ever!"   
"C'mon there's work to be done. Darien's back."  
"Well, shit." I grabbed my psyblade. We worked our way through the miscellaneous fighting to the middle arena, where the party was meeting. I caught a kick in the back, but quickly my attacker caught a pressure point kill shot.  
He dropped. And, at that second, the floor blew out, sending Kevin tumbling down to the floor below. The rest of us were hovering above the hole, using psychic levitation. Kevin was looking alright, but possibly dead. Unconscious.   
"Kira, you're wearing a dress. It would be a good idea to land now, maybe."  
"Humph!" Sabrina looked slightly angry.  
"What?" I asked.  
"You noticed," she frowned.  
  
We landed next to what may have been a heating duct at one point in time, but which was now a twisted hunk of metal lying on Kevin. A door opened, and the shape of a person was silhouetted by bright light behind it. All of us, with the exception of Kira, turned to the door. She was standing over Kevin. I heard a loud bang, and a several crashes, and Kevin, looking perfectly fine and totally not dead was standing next to me. I looked back. Kira was smiling sweetly, but I could barely see it with the smoke still clearing. I turned back to the door.  
"Hello, James. I'm glad I found you."  
"Who are you?" He laughed evilly. Okay, so this was a bad kind of glad.   
"Did you expect me to stay dead? I have more friends than you think, and resources beyond your possible imagination. Soon my family will arrive here, and you will all submit. Even if you destroy me, you will have too much to cope with in their attack." He stepped into the light.   
"Darien, why don't you just die?"  
"Come, come, James, didn't you miss your brother? It's been a while since I last screwed up your life."  
"Yes, it has, let's keep it that way, absence make the heart grow fonder, doesn't it?"  
"Look, James, can we dispense with the usual banter and just attempt to kill each other?"   
"Fine by me," I replied, hurling a psychic fireball. He blocked it, and pulled out an automatic Rocket issue handgun. I grabbed a pokeball, releasing Lugia into the light. The flash caused strange shadows to be thrown from the I-beams and drums lying around the room. Lugia stared down at Darien. There are some pokemon that are weak, and you would never in your wildest dreams ever think about sending up against a madman with an automatic pistol, like Charizard or Dragonite. Then there are tough pokemon who can handle it. Lugia is one of them. Darien stared back at the graceful yet dangerous water guardian. He looked slightly phased. That was good.  
"Oh shit."   
"Lugia, Psychic Elemental Augmentation!" I yelled. Lugia's eyes glowed. Darien's eyes widened as the huge purple-red-yellow-blue ball of energy hurtled toward him. As he was engulfed, his finger closed on the trigger. The bullet whizzed past me, near enough to feel the hot air it generated brush my cheek like a painter's brush, dipped in hot oil. Sabrina fell. The bullet hole was a clean circle in her forehead. I looked on with disbelief on my face. Darien sputtered in the doorway.   
I knelt next to my wife. At least she was invincible, it would only hurt, not kill her. That was impossible. I thought. I held her in my arms. I could feel no heartbeat, pulse, or breathing. Her long black hair had fallen tangled around her. I brushed a strand from her face. She was dead. It couldn't be, but it was. It had ended before she could truly live. She had died here, caught up in my stupid fight for retribution with Darien and my past. Why couldn't I have just accepted what I was, and lived with it, and not have to seek out all the links to my past and destroy them. Would this be what it took to stop it? Even as I thought this, the anger welled up inside of me. I knew that no matter how much I wanted the death to end with this, it wouldn't. The anger, unbridled anger, would force me to destroy my own flesh and blood, Darien, for this. A felt as Macbeth must have, and the lines, "Blood begets blood" appeared in my head. Kira stood next to me, her face showing the only negative expression I'd seen on it. One single tear leaked from her eye to fall, a crystal to the metal grating where Sabrina's blood had pooled. I was still holding my wife. I felt the two lights that were Darien's twins wink out with their mother's fall. I held her head to my chest, the blood staining my trenchcoat. Her face was calm. She hadn't even seen it coming.   
"Darien!" Eriss appeared in the doorway. Darien was lying, somewhat toasted on his side near the door. She knelt to him, and picked him up with surprising strength.   
"Eriss, I told you to leave, you should have, I don't want you hurt," Darien was standing on his own now. He and Eriss backed out of the room, the two others in our party advancing on them. I drew my pistol, my face still an expressionless mask, and fired, repeatedly at the door they had disappeared through. We were alone. The door slammed shut, and a circle in the floor opened, a platform rising from it.  
"Goodbye, now you must face the wrath of our ultimate pokemon. The platform finished rising. On it was a giant clam.   
"It's a giant clam."  
"Yes."  
"It's a giant clam."  
"Yes."  
"It's a giant fucking clam!"  
"Yep."  
"It's a GIANT fucking CLAM!"  
"Mmhmm." Boom! Basically, that's what happened. Boom. The clam whirled into action, and somehow we all ended up lying on the floor, DeathClam hovering above us. I teleported the group away.  
  
I walked into the Pokemon League headquarters and Indigo. Ash was sitting at his desk. Misty, as always, stood behind him.   
"James, glad to see you're back. How did it go?"  
"Fuck you, Ash."  
"Huh? What happened to you?"  
"You. You think you could send my wife out on some crazy assignment and not expect me to put two and two together and trace it back to you. She would only have gone to a scum hole like that under your orders, because of her care for humanity. I don't even know what happened to Musashi and Kojiro, the two samurai rivals in the dance land. Kevin was injured, and... and... Sabrina's dead."  
"James, how?"  
"Darien."  
"James, I'm sorry." He placed a hand on my shoulder. I grabbed his hand, and twisted it to the point where I heard a clicking in his wrist.  
"Don't touch me. It's your fault that she's dead. You sent her on that crazy mission. What was it for? She didn't even tell me before she died." I released his hand and he gripped it, massaging the wrist. Misty stepped between us.  
"James, I'm sorry about your wife, but I can't let you hurt Ash. Why don't you just take this down into the arena? I can't have fighting in here!"  
"Honey, this isn't something we can just settle with a battle."  
"No no no, no buts. Get down there now!" She violently ushered us out of the office and down the stairs to the arena.   
"I'm sorry about your loss James, but I don't lose a pokemon battle. I'm sorry."  
"Funny, me neither."  
  
ROUND 1  
  
I drew a pokeball. Lugia. Ash selected Blastoise. I threw my pokeball out. He threw his. The two pokemon appeared, staring each other down. Lugia looked at the opposing trainer.  
"James, I can't fight Ash, he saved me."  
"I understand, Lugia. It's important to have gratitude. I'll avenge Sabrina without your help." I called him back. Mewtwo flew out his pokeball, a huge menacing opponent. His tail twitched back and forth in anticipation. He looked back at me, a glint in his dark eyes. Blastoise glared back.   
"Blastoise, be careful. Hydro Pump!" Ash cried. His cap was turned back like he was kid. Pikachu stood next to him. A blast of water flew at Mewtwo, only to fall short under a psychic block.  
"Mewtwo, Psychic Assault!" Beams of purple energy shot toward the stolid Blastoise.  
"Blastoise, withdraw!" The psychic energy hit the shel, damaging it, but not hurting the withdrawn turtle. Blastoise stood, brining itself back out of its shell. It seemed to jeer at my psychic pokemon. Ash was no lightweight. My face bore no expression. I just looked on, telling my pokemon what to do. The very purpose of my life, it seemed, had gone. Now I just wanted to win this, and go home to someone who would hole me and comfort me and tell me it would be all right.  
"Mewtwo, we have no time for this! Psychic Lightning!" Bolts of purple lightning flew from Mewtwo's outstretched hands, hitting the Blastoise square in the stomach area. He was wracked with the bolts of energy crackling across his body, and he fell, KOed to the arena's floor. Mewtwo was tired, and was panting, the powerful attacks wearing him down. Ash, surprised, withdrew his Blastoise, the red energy of the pokeball enveloping it.   
  
ROUND 2  
  
  
Mewtwo stood, solid as a rock in the arena. Ash selected his next pokemon, Venusaur. The giant lizard plant appeared and lumbered to its place.  
"Venusaur, SolarBeam!" He wasn't wasting any time.  
"Mewtwo, Barrier!" Venusaur's SolarBeam flew, a rod of white light, at my pokemon. Mewtwo's Barrier held it off for a second, but the weakened psychic strength eventually collapsed. Mewtwo flew backward, sliding to a stop on the ground at my feet. He made to get up, but fell back to the ground. I knelt next to him and patted him on the shoulder.   
"It's alright friend, you fought well, I'll get Moltres out here. C'mon back." Mewtwo nodded, and was enveloped by the pokeball's protective casing. I called out the firebird, and it soared gracefully across to land near Venusaur.  
"Venusaur, VineQuake!" Venusaur's vines shot out, up and down, into the rings soil, digging through the ground, threatening to burst under Moltres at anytime. I had a solution.  
"Moltres, Magma." I said it calmly. Moltres blew out molten rock, regurgitating it onto the arena floor around, just as the vines came up. They burned and Venusaur roared in pain.   
"Moltres, finish it now with Fire Blast!" The Fire Blast flew towards Venusaur, who was too slow to get away. He was hit, and fell, but, as he did, his vines, still barely functional, grabbed Moltres and pulled it into the magma. The bird couldn't take this, and was severely weakened. Moltres pulled itself up, and Venusaur fainted. Ash recalled him, a tear in one eye. Moltres collapsed. I recalled it.   
  
ROUND 3  
  
I could tell, psychically, that Ash was going to send out Charizard. I pulled my next pokeball, Mew. She flew out, enthusiastic as ever. Charizard stared at her.  
"Oh please, Ash. Mew, Dimensional Rip!" A shining cut in the time-space continuum appeared above Charizard, and slowly widened until it dwarfed the dragon. Charizard was sucked in suddenly. The portal closed, and Ash screamed.  
"What have you done with him?" Ash yelled. I nodded to center ring. Te cut opened again, and Charizard fell out, an orange bundle, the flame burning just slightly on its tail. Ash recalled it.  
  
ROUND 4  
  
Strangely enough, Mew fell to a burning BladeFire attack from Ash's Scyther, a force to be reckoned with. I was surprised, but didn't show it. I just stared. My next pokemon was Skarmory, the Steel Bird. Scyther flew in, trying a speed attack.   
"Skarmory, Wing Fan Block!" Skarmory's wings came up in from the steel blades descending from them, and creating a shield in front of the bird. Scyther tried to stop, but rammed headfirst into them. Skarmory used a Steel Wing attack to finish it. Ash recalled Scyther. He was down to Pikachu and one other. I had two left after Skarmory, but Lugia couldn't fight, so I only had one other.  
  
ROUND 5  
  
Ash sent his next pokemon, a Dragonite. It lumbered up to face my Skarmory. Skarmory cawed a challenge to it, which it answered with a hyper beam. Skarmory's wing quickly came up, blocking and reflecting the beam back at Dragonite, who was helpless to defend against its own attack. It took a heavy hit, but was still standing. Its next attack was a powerful Body Slam. It crashed down on my Steel Bird. Skarmory was no idiot, though, and brought the hard wings up and struck the Dragonite as it fell, slashing it with the blade-like feathers. I was allowed one last pokemon. So was Ash.   
  
ROUND 6  
  
So it came down to my Golden Pikachu against Ash's Pikachu, a veteran fighter. Goldie was no weakling, and it's hideously over powerful electric attacks would more than compensate fro it's lack in size next to Ash's larger, stronger pikachu. Goldie neede to attack commands, she could play this one by ear.   
"Pikachu, Thunder!" Ash yelled, immediately going for the hard attack. Goldie absorbed the damage, and fired it straight back. Pikachu was surprised, and took the hit. It soon stood and shook off the weakness. Goldie was then target for devastating speed attacks. As Goldie took a final scratch and fell, I realized he had been my last pokemon. It was over, Ash had beaten me. I fell to my knees, eyes wide. I knew that I should have beaten him, I could have, had I had Lugia. My eyes watered, and tears began to fall. I stood, and turned around, ready to leave, never to return. I was interrupted by the voice of Lugia.  
"James, I will fight."  
"You don't have to. I already lost, get back in the pokeball."   
"No, I won't let you lose, no matter what my faith to Ash is, you are my trainer, and my friend, as your wife, Sabrina, was my friend. I will do this for you both." Lugia turned towards Pikachu, his immense wings flapping.   
"Pikachu, finish this with Thunder." Pikachu released its most powerful attack. Lugia was unfazed. Seeing my pokemon stand up to this made me proud. I smiled, ever so slightly.   
"Lugia, Psyburn!" Lugia's psyburns smashed the electric rat backwards into Ash's waiting arms. It was knocked out. I recalled Lugia, silently thanking the Guardian. I turned to leave.  
"James, I'll understand if you resign," Ash said.  
"I won't. The people need Rangers, and I'm the best they've got. I'll be on page." I left.   
  
  
  



	9. Epilogue

Epilogue  
Tears, Sake, and Hot Tubs  
  
  
The group, newly added to, sat in the giant hot tub in the Mansion. All but Erika, away as she was, were present. There was a floating tray, laden with sake, floating around. I sipped my cup, the warmth cheering me slightly. I couldn't feel bad forever. We've all lost something, and everyone has to die. Karma is Karma, isn't it? I smiled at my friends. We had spent so much time together fighting the evils of the world, and finally, finally, we were given a reprieve. I missed Sabrina. She should have been here, her warmth next to me in the tub. Her hand holding mine, as it would have been. She was gone now. Shit happens. I guess that is all I can say about that. Shit happens. The others were chatting quietly, some of them stricken worse than others with the news of my wife's death. Megan looked quietly at me, her eyes shining with sympathy. As my friends slowly filtered out, sipping sake and walking slightly precariously, I was left thinking, only Kira left in the room with me. She stood to leave.  
"James?"  
"Yeah."  
"It'll be alright, I promise." The words would have sounded hollow from anyone else. It was just the way she said it that made it mean everything it did.  
"Yeah." She slipped on her kimono and exited the room, sliding the shoji shut behind her. I was left alone in the darkness of my hot tub. I dozed off to sleep.   
I was awakened by a familiar presence, and a crack of light in the shoji wall. Erika stood at the door. She slid it closed behind her. She bowed to me. I rubbed my eyes and bowed my head back.   
"Did I wake you?"  
"Slightly. Doesn't matter."  
"They said you'd be here. Megan was worried about you."   
"Hmm. Figures." She slipped off her kimono, hanging it on a wooden peg near the door. She proceeded to take off the under kimono too. I felt kind of awkward, Erika standing there naked in front of me. Last week I would have felt totally different, being married. Now there was a gap there. It still felt awkward looking at her. I had seen her like this before, and more than this. But I still felt strange, just the fact that loss of a wife and bathing naked in the dark with someone you've slept with in the same week were just kind of a bizarre mix. She lowered herself into the tub, eyes widening slightly with the heat.  
"James, what did you set this on, boil?"  
"150, give or take, umm... 100."  
"It's kind of hot."  
"I'll turn it down." I mentally flicked the temp control down to 100. The tub jetted in cool water, setting us at 100 in less than ten seconds. Erika stood in the deepest part, the middle, at about four and a half feet. I carefully waded out the ten feet to the middle from where I had fallen asleep.  
"James, I heard about all of this. I'm so sorry."  
"It's alright. Life takes its course, I guess it takes its toll too." She put her arms around me and hugged me to her. I held her too. I could feel her soft skin against mine, her firm breasts pressed against my chest. I buried my face in her hair and cried. She just held me tightly. I could feel every minute movement she made, her even breathing in contrast to my uneven sobbing, and the slight adjustments of her arms holding me. I felt so open and weak, standing there, her arms around me, sobbing into her hair. She kissed my cheek.  
"Like you said, life takes its course. It will all be alright in the end. Trust me." She kissed me again. The tears stopped, and we just stood there, embracing. After a while I felt her pull away. She grabbed my hand.  
"James, it's getting late, and you are going to bed." I followed her out of the hot tub, turning it off. I helped her put her underkimono and kimono on, and we walked to my room, just down the hall. We got took off our outer kimonos and got into bed and held each other until we fell asleep. Maybe I would get over all of this. Just maybe.  



End file.
